


Life Support

by Beatonen



Series: War and Peace [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, I like hurting the girls it seems, Pain again, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-03-24 06:57:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 129,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beatonen/pseuds/Beatonen
Summary: With the war finally over, the girls have to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, for better or worst.Set right after Times of trouble.P.S.: I really suck at summaries, I'm so sorry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey again! I was so excited to start this work, I'm already through half of the second chapter!!
> 
> But... yeah. Just trust me on this.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it! And thank you for reading, for leaving kudos and commenting!!! I love to receive them!!!

The first week went by in a flash. The remaining Grimm seemed to have scattered with Salem’s disappearance, and all the Hunters were spread in the vicinity and searched for Ruby. Through the searches, they took a moment to say goodbye to Lucky, gathered on top of a hill that overlooked the forest, and knowing he would prefer this than something in the city.

As the breeze blew, they stood there with Lucky’s hat and his weapons in front of a cairn that Qrow had made with rocks he had dug up, Blake and Weiss helping Yang to stay up, and they even had brought Pearl along, the horse still looking around, her tall ears flicking this way and that. Still waiting for him to come back.

Qrow looked at the cairn with a solemn expression, the look in his eyes was of sadness for his friend’s death, but with the resignation of someone who saw it too often, and he wordlessly pulled out his flask, unscrewing it in one twist, and tipped it over the cairn, letting a good sip wet the rocks there.

“For the trip,” the man said quietly, before taking a long sip from it.

He let out a deep breath as he returned his flask into his jacket, staring at the cairn for a moment more before turning around, slipping his hands in his pockets as he shivered a bit in the cold air, but before he could go too far, Weiss called him.

“What was his name?”

The Huntsman stopped, looking over his shoulder as he settled his light red eyes on them, seeing their reddened eyes as the three women looked at him, waiting for an answer.

“Roy,” he finally answered. “Roy O’Malley. But his name was Lucky.”

And he left.

As the days went by, Yang was getting better physically, but as they morphed into weeks, there was still no sign of Ruby, or Salem. Every report showed that the Grimm activity had lowered throughout Remnant, and soon, all of the Hunters were dispatched home. When Weiss had protested, at first to Qrow, then to the General and Ozpin, they all said the same thing: there was no sign of her. It was a possibility that Ruby died.

But the team had none of it.

Ozpin offered them an airship home, to Mistral, but they firmly refused, saying that they had to find Ruby first.

Still, one by one, the teams left the area, and soon all the people left were Blake, Weiss, Yang, Qrow and team JNR that decided to help with their searches.

A month went by with their relentless searches coming up empty. JNR had stayed with them up until now, but Jaune had refused three jobs to stay, and now they were running low on money. Plus, it had started snowing, the days too cold now for it to melt during the day, and they weren’t equipped to camp in the snow.

They had to leave.

But there was no sign of their leader.

So it was reluctantly that they left, returning to their home in Mistral, everything in the house covered in dust for how long they were gone.

They had left Pearl with Qrow, deciding that, as they couldn’t keep her, she should retire and live in peace in her home place, with the clear mention that she wasn’t for sale or wasn’t to be worked with. Qrow’s mission was to find a good place for her, whatever the price. Weiss would cover it regardless.

And as agreed upon, Tai came to pick up Angel, hoping for good news as he did, but unfortunately, they were still empty-handed. When he left, he looked like he had been stabbed as he said something about history repeating itself.

And Yang yelled at him to shut up. That Ruby wasn’t dead, and that they would find her.

But when he left, the blonde locked herself in her room, and even Blake hadn’t been able to make her talk.

As the days went by, Yang only seemed to retract on herself, and Blake could see the same blank, lost look in her eyes that she saw in Tai’s, and despite her efforts, the blonde spent more and more time in bed, curled up and staring at nothing, while Weiss was almost out all day, or locked up in her office.

Blake was left juggling between Yang and Weiss, both of them coping with Ruby’s disappearance in different ways, and even if she wasn’t an example of healthy coping, she knew that what they were doing wasn’t healthy.

But she had to take care of them. It was the last thing her leader had demanded of her.

 

****

 

“Weiss, wait,” Blake sighed as she could see the smaller woman emerge from the hallway and was already making her way to the front door. “Just sit a moment. Eat something.”

Stopping, Weiss looked over at her as she pushed a plate with a single toast in it, with butter. Something small, easy to eat, because Weiss always seemed to be in a hurry. And she bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that Weiss would finally stop for a second, would realise that she was hungry, but when she saw her face scrunching up she knew she had hoped for nothing.

“I don’t have time for this,” the smaller woman growled under her breath, resuming her walk to the door and already taking her coat from the rack.

“Then make time,” Blake ordered, her voice firm as she quickly made her way around the kitchen island to stand in front of the door, crossing her arms. “When was the last time you ate something? Or drank something?”

Visibly gritting her teeth, Weiss still didn’t stop as she slipped in her boots and took her keys, squeezing them in her hand. As it was winter, Yang couldn’t take her bike, and so Weiss had bought a car and had learned to drive even though she didn’t have a licence, not wanting to have to wait on Yang or a cab whenever she wanted to go somewhere. But she was a good driver, and as long as she stayed careful… Well, it wasn’t ideal, but it was better than her deciding to go on foot, so Blake had stopped trying to stop her for that.

Besides, Weiss could pay any fine thrown at her if she ever got caught. And that was _if_ the police officer was brave enough to give her one.

“Move, Blake. I’m really not in the mood.”

“I’m not, too, but as you seem to be starving yourself, I have to insist.”

“Fine!” the smaller woman hissed, grinding her teeth as she stomped closer to the plate on the island, taking half of the toast and shoving a good portion of it in her mouth. “Happy?” she mumbled around her food. “Now move.”

Intent on standing her ground, Blake took in a sharp breath as she was about to let out some snarky comments, but when she saw Weiss stare at her, her glare poisonous with her bloodshot eyes, the blue of her eyes so electric, she was sure that Weiss would use a glyph on her if she didn’t step aside. And not wanting to go that far, she reluctantly stepped aside, letting the smaller woman brush past her as she stormed off outside, slamming the door behind her.

With a sigh, she moved to the window as she looked at Weiss making her way to the car, and it was without surprise that she saw the smaller woman throw the rest of the toast in the snow before she climbed in the car.

She knew where Weiss was going, because it was the same routine every day for the past month and a half, now. Weiss was going to the CCT, for the connection was strongest there, and would peel though every hospitals and clinics reports, searching for someone matching Ruby’s description. So far, she had always come back empty-handed, and even angrier than she had left.

She couldn’t believe how much time had passed, since the end of the war. She couldn't believe that there was still no trace of Ruby.

Her scroll vibrated as the car pulled from the parking lot, rolling backward to the street before speeding away, and it was tiredly that she dragged her feet back to the kitchen island to check on it, before she sighed as she hung her head low, swiping the screen to the side to discard the message.

Nothing. Again.

She leaned her elbows on the island and crossed her fingers together, letting out a deep, slow breath, the sound of it almost echoing in the silent house. She was tired. Exhausted, was the exact word. Between the searches always coming up empty, the constant fighting with Weiss, where every victory, as small as they were, didn’t feel like victories at all, and Yang’s lethargic attitude as she stared at the wall in front of her all day, curled up in bed… She didn’t know what to do.

They were supposed to rest, once everything was over. They were supposed to be back, the four of them, and heal as they would try to forget the horrors of the war. They were supposed to come back, stronger than ever.

And yet, Blake had never seen this team so divided.

Feeling her eyes prickle, she let out another sigh as she pocketed her scroll, staring at the half of the toast left in the plate, deciding she would deal with this later, and she dragged her feet to her room, finding Yang where she had left her. Curled up on her side of the bed, staring at the wall and clutching her scroll as she was looking at pictures of Ruby.

She dropped on the bed, lying on her back as she closed her eyes, trying to find the strength to tell Yang to go eat something. But she was so tired… She figured it could wait a bit.

She felt the blonde move beside her, and it was with a bit of shock that she felt Yang shift closer, tucking her head on the crook of Blake’s shoulder wordlessly, and she instantly petted her hair, massaging behind the blonde’s ear gently.

It was a bit unusual, but on the other hand lately Yang seemed to be slowly shaking her lethargy, and sometimes would seek Blake’s presence for a moment, seemingly gathering her strength before going to whatever she had to do.

“Weiss left?”

Now _that_ was unusual.

“Yeah,” she sighed anyway, glad that Yang was saying something.

“Did she eat anything?”

The blonde kept her voice quiet, barely above a whisper, and she could hear the rasp on its edges but she didn’t mind, because Yang was _talking_.

“A bite of toast. Literally.”

The blonde hummed quietly, shifting a bit closer, and a silence fell on them for a moment as she kept petting Yang’s hair, so short now. It was shoulder length; Blake had been the one to cut it to make it look as good as it could when you were stuck in the middle of a forest, but after everything, Yang had been satisfied with her work.

She could feel herself drifting to sleep, her exhausted mind shutting down as she felt like the mattress was pulling on her body, until she felt the blonde shift again, felt the brush of her nose on her cheek.

“How are you?” she heard Yang ask quietly.

She took a moment to answer, wondering if being entirely honest was wise. But saying right in Yang’s face that she and Weiss were draining her to the bone was probably not the best course of action, so she settled on another truth that was as truthful as the first one.

“I’m tired,” she said simply.

She felt Yang nod against her shoulder, acknowledging. Then, she felt her move again, the sheets rustling as she did.

“Do you want a moment of peace?”

She opened her eyes at that, surprised. When she looked over, she could see tired lilac eyes, with eye bags that were almost the same shade as her eyes, her features pulled, but the blonde managed a small, short smile as she held her arms open, probably knowing that Blake needed it more than she would ever admit. And it was with tears in her eyes that she moved closer, wordlessly pressing herself against her wife and tucking her head under Yang’s chin, breathing her scent, and she felt her strong arms close on her, keeping her close as the blonde leaned her cheek on top of her head.

“Thank you,” she managed to let out in a strangled voice, sniffling.

She felt Yang sigh against her hair, felt her hand petting her head as the blonde just held her, and she hoped that the two simple words were enough to express all her gratitude. Because this, being finally held, being the one who sought comfort and receiving it… This was exactly what she needed.

And as she cried, Yang still holding her closely as she quietly wept along with her, she thought that maybe it wasn’t all lost. That maybe it wouldn’t end like this, that team RWBY wouldn’t finish leaderless and scattered. They just had to give themselves a chance.

And time.

But they weren’t really patient people.

 

****

 

A week passed by, and Blake was glad to see that Yang was slowly coming out of her shell, sometimes coming out of the room without Blake insisting, and she would sit with her and keep her company. She even washed the dishes, once.

Weiss, on the other hand, was still driving herself into a wall. The smaller woman was always gone by the time Blake woke up now, and would come back long after the sun had set, only to lock herself in her office. Blake would sometimes read in the living room, waiting for Weiss to come out of her office even until late at night, but would abandon the fight as she would make her way to her bedroom. And she could still see light filtering from under the door, and hear the quiet rustle of paper, and Weiss’s grumbling, only to wake up the next day, early, and discover that Weiss was already gone.

She had tried knocking at the office’s door, tried to insist that Weiss needed to rest, but the smaller woman only snarled at her that she didn’t have the time for that, and ordered to be left alone, and before long Blake had abandoned this fight, too.

Still, the thought that something could happen to Weiss never really crossed her mind. They were war veterans, for crying out loud, what worst could stand in Weiss’s way after she fought against Salem, the greatest danger to Mankind?

Blake and Yang were in the living room one day, the blonde watching TV as she read, when her scroll buzzed, indicating an incoming call from a number she didn’t recognize. Suspicious, she still answered, and she stood promptly, her eyes widening.

Weiss had suffered a car crash. As she was coming back home, she had fallen asleep on the way, and finished her course on the side of the road, crashing against a tree. Fortunately she had been alone on the road, and her injuries were minor due to her aura, but if she hadn’t been a Huntress, she would have died on the spot.

After calming Yang down, for the blonde had started panicking when she head Blake ask about Weiss and the car accident, the faunus took her own keys and immediately left, using the car she had bought for her and Yang while they searched for Ruby.

The receptionist that called her had told her Weiss was fine, but it didn’t stop her from worrying all the way to the hospital, didn’t stop her hands from shaking and didn’t stop her from hurrying to her teammate’s hospital room… Only to find Weiss in her hospital gown, sitting straight in her bed with her arms crossed, staring out the window with a deep scowl on her face, as if this whole situation was the most annoying thing that has ever happened to her. As soon as she entered the room, the poor nurse that was trying to check on Weiss fled, leaving the angry woman to Blake with a slight nod of her head.

But before she could even stop beside the bed, Weiss noticed her and after a tight, short sigh, was already moving to stand, pointing at a box on a nearby chair.

“Let’s get out of here. Give me my clothes.”

Ignoring the demand, Blake took the time to eye the smaller woman, finding that she was indeed fine despite a few purple bruises on her arms and legs, and she was so relieved to see that she was _really_ alright that she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around her, tightly, hearing Weiss grunt a bit when she pressed on a bruise. But for once, the smaller woman didn’t fight it as she sighed, and gently patted her back a few times.

“While we’re young, Blake,” Weiss rolled her eyes when Blake didn’t seem about to let go of her.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, brushing a couple of white strands of hair out of her face, and she could see the slightly softer expression on the smaller woman’s face, her blue eyes locked with her for a second before glancing away, raising insistent eyebrows as her gaze returned to the box on the chair. Straightening her back, Blake stared at her for a moment longer, and as Weiss was about to insist again, she painfully flicked the smaller woman’s forehead, eliciting a cry of surprise and pain.

“Don’t you _ever_ do this again,” she growled, staring hardly at Weiss who rubbed her forehead with a roll of her eyes.

“Am I grounded?” the smaller woman snorted, shaking her head with a sigh.

“Don’t try me,” Blake warned, raising a single finger at her as she could feel her ears lower on her head. “I’m not done with you. We’ll talk more in the car.”

And without adding anything else, she walked to the chair, taking the box, before shoving it in Weiss’s arms, and she left the room, closing the door behind her.

 

////////////////////

 

“You’re lucky to get out of this with just a couple of bruises and a fine, you know that?” Blake was grumbling to Weiss as the smaller woman was leaned back in her seat, wearing an annoyed frown on her face with both arms and legs crossed.

“And a sermon by you,” the smaller woman said under her breath as she stared outside, seemingly forgetting that Blake could hear perfectly in the silent car.

It made her eye twitch as she quickly glanced at Weiss, gritting her teeth.

“Yes, a sermon by me. What did you expect? That I wouldn’t say a thing when you nearly killed yourself? I asked you- No, I _fought_ with you, so many times, just for you to rest, to sleep in, so things like _this_ wouldn’t happen. But no,” she hissed through her gritted teeth, entirely focused on the road ahead. “Sleep deprivation would _never_ affect you, right?”

The smaller woman only glanced at her as she stayed silent, hunkering down in her corner as she returned her attention outside. On her side of the car, Blake was fuming, her hands squeezing the steering wheel tightly, her ears flat on her head.

“What were you thinking, Weiss?” she continued, and she heard the quiet sigh the other woman let out. “I hope you have learned your lesson. You don’t have a car anymore, and you can be sure I will _hide_ my keys, because you’re not destroying my car, too.”

“I don’t care, I’ll just buy another one,” Weiss said with a slight shrug, still staring outside, seemingly uninterested with what Blake had to say.

“No, you will not. What you will do, however, is rest. Sleep, Weiss. And eat. That way you won’t fall asleep while doing something.”

“I can’t rest!” the smaller woman suddenly barked at her, her features pulled as she finally turned around. “I can’t rest until I find Ruby! I promised I would find her if she ever left! I can’t-”

Stopping suddenly, Weiss swallowed thickly as her mouth twisted, and in the corner of her eyes the faunus could see the smaller woman’s hands curl into tight fists as she returned her attention outside, her entire frame tense.

“I can’t stop until I find her. I promised Ruby, and you know I keep my promises,” Weiss finally growled, her voice holding enough venom for Blake to wonder if it was really directed at her, or if the smaller woman was directing it at herself for she still hadn’t a single clue of where their leader could be.

“And Ruby asked me to take care of you and Yang, but dammit, you’re making it so difficult!” Blake let out in a tight voice, her sigh tired as she could understand why Weiss was so obsessed. “I can do so much when you’re so intent on destroying your life yourself. Besides, it’s not by ending up in a car accident that you will find her.”

The smaller woman almost visibly bristled at that, and when she glowered back at Blake, she could feel the smaller woman’s glare on her face like cold daggers.

“Well at least, _I’m_ searching for her, unlike some people! You don’t even look like you care!” Weiss all but snarled, and her voice echoed in the faunus’s ears painfully.

It made Blake slam the breaks, sending both of them forward and eliciting a chorus of horns honking behind them, and she quickly pulled over on the side of the road.

“I just got out of a car crash!” Weiss angrily reminded to the faunus.

But Blake stopped the car, ripping her keys out and sent the door flying open as she undid her seatbelt.

“You stay there. Right there,” she growled to the smaller woman before slamming the door shut, making Weiss visibly wince.

She had to calm down. She was just so _angry_ , she could feel her hands shaking, feel her gut twisted and burning, and it was difficult to walk to the front of the car, sitting on the trunk and leaning her hands on her knees. Focusing on taking deep breaths as she listened to the cars passing by.

She couldn’t do this. Not anymore. She was just so tired of this, of Weiss like this, of Yang like this, of _herself_ like this. She was tired of trying to be strong. Tired of giving so much energy into someone who clearly didn’t want it.

She closed her eyes as she slowed her breathing down. She was surprised when she realised that Weiss actually listened to her and stayed in the car instead of pursuing their ‘conversation’.

Feeling a bit more in control, Blake took in a deep, steadying breath before looking over her shoulder, seeing that Weiss was still there, her eyes lowered as she was chewing on her lip, probably regretting what she had said.

After a long, bone deep sigh, she stood, seeing Weiss looking up as she noticed her moving, and the smaller woman followed her with her eyes as she came back to the car, and when she opened the door, she saw the smaller woman about to talk, but she raised a hand.

“No,” she said firmly, taking place behind the wheel. “I don’t want to hear you. I want to forget you’re even here, so you’re going to shut your mouth, and if I hear so much as you breathing, I’m kicking you out of the car.”

She didn’t even spare Weiss a glance as she started the car again, but she could see, in the corner of her eye, that the smaller woman had closed her mouth wordlessly, and after a moment as the car pulled from the side of the road, she saw her nod silently, sitting back in her seat, and kept her gaze low.

The ride was short, but it was enough for Blake to gather her thoughts, to think, as Weiss was as silent as a tomb on her side of the car, fidgeting with everything within reach. The house was in sight now, and Weiss visibly perked up beside her, glancing at Blake shortly as she reached up to press the designated button on the ceiling of the car, making the automated garage door slowly slide up.

As soon as they were parked, Weiss undid her seatbelt and was about to get out, trying to be as discreet as possible, but when she saw that Blake stopped the car, pulled her keys off as she undid her seatbelt before leaning back in her seat with a deep sigh, she paused. And when she saw that Blake wasn’t about to leave the car, she hesitantly leaned back in her seat, too.

They stayed in silence for a long moment, staring at the far wall of the garage where most of their traveling gear was stored, and it was only when Blake let out a deep, tired sigh that Weiss turned her head towards her, slightly.

“I can’t believe you said that,” the faunus quietly said. “I can’t believe you think I don’t care.”

“In my defense, I never saw you leave the house,” Weiss tried very quietly.

“It doesn’t mean I’m not searching,” she retorted, harshly.

And the smaller woman lowered her head again, seemingly mulling it over.

“I’ve been keeping contact with every Hunters I know, because they are spread throughout Remnant, and report to me every now and then to tell me if they heard any news of Ruby,” Blake informed, earning Weiss’s attention instantly. “I’m keeping Ozpin updated, Qrow too, and on their side they report back. I keep reading about other dimensions because you talked of a portal Salem used, and since Ruby doesn’t even seem to _be_ on Remnant, I thought…”

She interrupted herself to swallow, rubbing a tired hand on her face, then in her hair as Weiss kept her attention on her, her mouth firmly shut.

“I seem desperate because I am,” she chuckled humorlessly, letting her hand fall back on her lap. “I rarely leave the house because I have to watch over Yang. Ruby asked me to take care of both of you, and I’m trying my best, but…” she sighed shortly, pinching her lips for a moment as she stared at the ceiling of the car. “I’m the only one who remembers that there’s bills that needs to be paid, food to be bought, chores that needs to be done. I’m trying my best, Weiss, and apparently, it’s not enough. You still had a car crash, even after I tried so hard.”

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts as Weiss was looking down on her hands that she kept on her lap now, as still as a statue. As silent as one, too.

“You know what the saddest part is? I can’t go on like this. I just can’t. I’m done fighting with you. I still didn’t have the time or the energy to grieve for Lucky because I had to take care of you two. I barely can keep my head out of the water, because you keep bringing me down. Yang is making progress and I’m so glad, but… I can’t give you both the same attention. Not anymore. I have to take care of myself, too, and I know I can’t do that if I keep you in my focus when you’re like this.”

She bit her lip, closing her eyes for a second. It amazed her that Weiss was still silent, but she was glad the smaller woman was letting her say what she wanted to say.

“I’m done being sucked by your self-destructive moods. I’m done trying to take care of you when you visibly don’t want me to. I can’t waste any more energy on you if you’re only going to throw it away. So, just… Do what you want. You seem so driven into doing just that, anyway. I’ll still be there for you _when_ you will want me to, but until then… Until then, don’t take my car.”

With that, she pushed the door open and got out, closing it behind her before entering the house and leaving Weiss there, and she felt like she wasn’t even in control of her body as it moved straight to her room and fell on the bed, barely noticing that Yang wasn’t there.

It was fine, though. She needed a moment alone.

 

****

 

She didn’t know how much time passed when she felt the bed dip, and she wondered if she should keep pretending to sleep or if she just opened her eyes. But Yang didn’t wait for her to make a choice.

“What did you tell her?”

Straight to the point, her voice slightly accusing. This didn’t look good. Opening one eye, she looked up at her wife, seeing the crinkle between her eyebrows and the concerned look in her lilac eyes.

“Why?” she asked carefully.

“Because Weiss has been sitting in the car for an hour and a half, and doesn’t look like she’s about to move.”

“Good,” she let her eye close with a huff. “She’s thinking.”

She felt Yang move beside her, and this time, when she opened an eye, Yang seemed even more worried than before.

“What did you tell her?” she insisted. “I’ve never seen her like this. She’s not even playing with anything, she’s just… there. And stares at nothing. When I tried to ask her what was wrong, she barely looked at me.”

Staring at her for a moment longer, Blake closed her eye and turned her head, burying her face in her pillow wordlessly and effectively making Yang sigh as she did. She could feel her ears flat on her head as she curled a bit more on herself, keeping her face hidden, and she was about to grumble something to the blonde when her ears perked up, the discreet sound of dragging feet in the hallway enough to make her raise her head, and Yang followed her stare.

As if on cue, Weiss slowly passed in front of the room, the smaller woman keeping her eyes lowered as she looked like she was mechanically going to her room, and soon after, they heard the door shut quietly, the click barely audible in the sudden silence.

And after a moment, Yang turned to her again, her eyes narrowed slightly.

“What did you say to her?” she asked yet again, and this time, Blake knew that her wife wouldn’t let this go.

 

****

 

Two days later, Weiss still hadn’t left her room. Blake had knocked at her door a couple of times, telling her that she needed to eat, but the smaller woman didn’t say anything, and even when Blake leaned her ear against the door, trying to hear something, she could barely hear Weiss’s breathing, slow and deep, and with a sigh she had let it be. Even Yang had knocked, for once. But when there was no answer, the blonde tried to open the door anyway, only to find it locked. So Yang went to fetch a knife, unlocking the door, but even with the door unlocked it still wouldn’t open as Blake heard the soft chime of a glyph.

Weiss wanted to be left alone. So, after leaving a tray of food in front of her door, they decided to let it be, for the moment. But to see Weiss like this wasn’t doing any good to Blake’s mood, and Yang, after making so much progress, stayed in bed all day, curled up and staring at the wall.

So she was alone again, laying on the couch in the living room and staring at the ceiling, wondering if she even had the strength to cry. The sky was gray outside, snow falling and piling everywhere, and since she hadn’t bothered turning the lights on, the house looked gray and lifeless as Blake listened to the silence, the insistent ticking of the clock the only thing breaking it.

She sighed, throwing an arm over her face. She couldn’t _not_ care about Weiss. Of course not. She was family, no matter what she had said to her, that day in the car.

She even reminded it to her, through the door one night. She had tried, when Yang was asleep. Tried to talk to Weiss, tried to make her open the door. She begged for Weiss to open up, she even cried for her to say something.

But there was no response on the other side. And as she sniffled, she was glad that Weiss had at least taken the tray with her. At least she had eaten something.

And here she was, wondering what she could do to make it right. To at least mend the bridge between her and Weiss. But her tired mind came up empty, over and over again.

She heard her scroll buzzing, but she ignored it. Weiss and Yang were safe in the house. It was probably another message telling her how Ruby couldn’t be found anywhere, and she really didn’t need it right now. Or maybe it was Jaune, transferring the contract of a mission to her again.

Three months and a half was a long time for a Huntress gone MIA, he kept saying. Everyone said that, actually. And even Ozpin had started saying that maybe, Ruby wasn’t just MIA, but KIA. And so, if Ruby was indeed killed in action… They needed to move on. So Jaune had taken upon himself to keep sending Blake contracts, to try and help them move on.

But she couldn’t believe it. Ruby wasn’t dead. They all knew that. If Ruby wasn’t back… then maybe something terrible happened. They all remembered how Salem wanted Ruby alive.

But this train of thought wasn’t helping her mood as she shook her head, clenching her fists.

No. Ruby wasn’t dead. She just… got lost on her way home. They all knew how their leader had a poor sense of orientation.

She sighed deeply, letting her thoughts drift away as she kept dozing off, feeling even more exhausted each times she woke up.

At some point, she lifted her arm to look at the time, before sighing again, returning her arm over her eyes. She had been lying here for five hours. She needed to get things done, and yet, she felt like sitting up was a task above her strength, above her capacities.

As she was about to give up and lay there for good on the couch, there was a knock at the front door.

Utterly surprised, Blake looked up over the back of the couch, seeing a shadow on the blurred glass of the front door, and she furrowed her brows. They certainly did not expected guests. But as the shadow was shifting, and not leaving, she sighed as she stood, the action seeming so herculean moments ago.

As she slowly made her way to the door, she realised that it was shadows. Plural. Two people, she frowned, wondering now more than ever who the hell would knock at the door when it barely looked lived in. And so, she opened the door, and nearly dropped to her knees when she saw who it was.

“Mom?” she gasped quietly, already hearing the waver in her voice. “Baxter?”


	2. Chapter 2

Blinking a few times and trying to register what was happening, she stepped aside to let Kali and Baxter in, staring at them with wide eyes as her mother only shivered in her large coat, dressed like it was an Atlesian snowstorm outside, Baxter pretty much the same. And while Kali seemed rather upset by the weather as she peeled off her coat, Baxter looked radiant as he brushed the snow off his shoulders and bag, a large smile stamped on his lips.

“It’s snowing, Mama!” he kept saying, his vibrant green eyes wide open as he glanced from the window to Blake. “It’s cold when you take it! And it’s so pretty when you look at it up close!”

Kali only huffed beside him, her opinion on the matter far from Baxter’s, and Blake barely gave them time to hung their coats on the rack before she pulled them to her arms wordlessly, holding them close as she could feel herself tremble and her eyes prickling, and it didn’t took long for the both of them to hug her back.

They didn’t say anything for a long moment, letting Blake take all the time she needed before she pulled away slightly, quickly wiping her welled up eyes with a sniffle as she turned to Baxter, who only looked up at her with a kind smile, happy to see her but also knowing that she was hurt.

“You’re so tall, now,” Blake managed to say, her voice strangled as she huffed with a small smile, resting both her hands on his shoulders.

The boy smiled again, and he straightened his back so she could see his full height, and he was almost as tall as Kali, now. His shoulders were wider than she remembered, too, and he had more scales on his jaw and forehead, near his hairline, and his dark-red hair was tied up on the back of his head, a few bangs still falling in his eyes and making him look older than his just-fourteen-years-old age.

“Soon I will be taller than you!” Baxter said proudly, puffing his chest and tilting his head up to meet her eyes.

She felt herself flinch at that as she swallowed, squeezing his shoulders lightly. She was missing so much of him already, she barely saw him grow and he was already so tall. Already so invested in the world, a world that she wasn’t even as present as she wanted, and she knew that she was missing so many things of him. That she _had_ missed so many things. She didn’t even know if he had friends. If he had someone he liked. What he wanted to be when he would be all grown up.

And he already wanted to be taller than her?

Feeling her throat tightening, she wordlessly pulled him in her arms again, feeling the boy snuggle closer immediately as he leaned his cheek against her shoulder, and she nuzzled his hair, breathing deeply as she kissed his temple, closing her eyes to try and hold back her tears as she petted his head, smoothing back a few bangs that fell in his eye.

She felt like a failure. Like she had taking so many avenues in her life at the same time, and had tried to do all of them right and failing miserably. Trying to find Ruby. Trying to take care of Weiss and Yang. Trying to be there for her son.

Trying to keep it together.

She took a deep breath as she pulled away, brushing the scales of his cheekbone with the back of her fingers, and she noticed, on his upper lip… Was it really the fuzz of facial hair?

“Don’t grow up too fast,” she finally said after a few tries, forcing a smile on her trembling lips, and swallowed thickly.

He rolled his eyes slightly, playfully, but then he glanced around, visibly trying to find someone as his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a sigh she pulled away, rubbing at her eyes tiredly as she set a hand on her hip.

“I’m happy to see you, but it’s not really a good time,” she said, trying to get some composure back as she could feel her hand trembling as she returned it to her side. “Weiss and Yang are in their rooms, and… I mean, if there is someone who could cheer Yang up, it sure is you,” she smiled to Baxter, hoping it looked sincere.

The boy perked up, suddenly a serious look on his face as he waited for the indications to see Yang, and after Blake pointed him in the right direction he went that way after one last squeeze to her hand, a bounce in his steps. Then, she turned to her mother, who was still waiting silently.

Saying that Kali was worried was the understatement of the year. Her mother was scanning her almost like a nurse in front of a patient, trying to find where was the injury and what she could do to sooth it as she wordlessly opened her arms, and Blake gladly went in them, savoring the feeling of her mother’s soothing presence.

Kali smelled of home. Of warm beaches and sun, even if she carried the stubborn scent of winter on her, too. And she closed her eyes when she felt her mother’s hand on her head, stroking right behind her ear, her hand as warm as the sand of the basking beaches, small but seemingly so strong and reassuring, the touch so familiar and one she had so greatly missed. And as she felt her eyes fill with tears again, she wanted to be enveloped in this feeling, to be engulfed in her mother’s warm presence like she had done so many times when she had been a little girl.

“Mom,” she quietly murmured, her voice sounding so tired even to her own ears.

Kali hummed softly, her hand never stopping petting as she leaned her cheek on top of her head, gentle and kind.

“Take me back.”

At that, the older faunus paused, and she could guess more than she could see her mother furrow her brows, a bit confused.

“Take you back?” she asked, keeping her voice hushed as she resumed her petting. “Where? To Menagerie?”

“No,” Blake slightly shook her head, before pressing her hand against Kali’s stomach. “Take me back,” she quietly insisted, and the tears she was holding back started falling on her cheeks when she felt her mother pause again. “Take me back. I’m tired, Mom. I’m so tired…”

She felt Kali’s embrace tightened around her as she cried, never minding that she was crumbling into a million pieces in her mother’s arms, breaking down like she had tried so hard to not do for so long and knowing that she would pick her and back up, and she was astonished to realised how much she _needed_ her mother right now.

 

****

 

She didn’t know how long she cried, not that she really cared. She was dimly aware when Kali had gently tugged on her hand to make them move from the front door and into the living room, and now she was sitting between her mother’s legs, curled up in a ball against Kali with her head tucked under her chin, her ear right on her mother’s chest and listening to the soothing beating of her heart.

Slow, steady, strong. Reassuring.

She kept her eyes closed as she still sniffled, sometimes shook by the remnant of hiccups as she kept her arms folded against her chest, all the while feeling that Kali was holding her close and secured, never stopping petting her head, gently combing in her hair.

And the silence was broken by the quiet ticking of the clock, again. But this time, the house looked a little less gray, now.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Blake finally let out, keeping her eyes closed as she stayed still.

She felt her mother press a gentle kiss on top of her head, right between her drooped ears, and the feeling of piece she was experiencing only got stronger with that, and she sighed quietly, content.

“I can see that,” Kali murmured in her hair as she took a deep breath.

She kept nuzzling there for a moment more, and after pushing a long lock of dark hair back behind her ear, she felt her mother cup her cheek, her thumb gently running over her cheekbone.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” the older faunus asked, her tone absent of accusation, only curious. “We’ve been worrying all this time. Three months of silence from you after we heard that the war ended, Yang was severely injured and Ruby went missing by Qrow when he called Tai had me worried enough to make the trip.”

As her mother talked, she felt her ears lowering on her head, and now more than ever she felt small even if her mother’s voice was gently, if a bit worried, and guilt made her bit her lip for a moment as she curled a bit more on herself.

“I’m sorry,” she finally murmured, swallowing. “I figured you didn’t need… This,” she gestured vaguely at herself, then towards the hallway, designing Weiss and Yang before returning her arm to its initial place, tucked against her chest.

“You know I’m here for you, whatever happens, Blake.”

Kali’s voice was genuine, and she ended her sentence with a small sigh and a kiss on top of her head again, and a silence fell on them for a moment but the older faunus didn’t press it, only giving her daughter all the time she needed, and Blake was grateful for that as she opened her eyes, slowly coming back to reality as she stared at the back of the couch.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Mom,” she said after a moment of contemplation. “I don’t know what to do for Yang, for Weiss, even for me. And I’m juggling with this, and finding Ruby, and… We still don’t know where Salem is, if the war is really _truly_ over or if she’ll just come back stronger than ever, and-”

“Blake,” her mother interrupted softly, settling a hand on her head lightly. “Don’t try to look that far when you can’t even set a foot in front of you. Breathe, honey.”

The hand that was on her head slid down, then went to take one of her hand to squeeze it tightly.

“Focus on what’s closer to you, and _after_ your footing is sure, _then_ look up. Focus on taking care of you first.”

“But if Salem comes back, I’m obligated-”

“I know. But as a mother, I want you to focus on you first, so please…”

She let out a short sigh, her breath tickling Blake’s ear and making it flick twice, and Kali shifted a bit, angling her hand to try and look at her daughter in the eyes.

“Is there something I can do to help?”

It was Blake’s turn to sigh then, deeply, letting out a long breath to buy some time before she would answer, but Kali didn’t seem to mind, as always, as she only waited patiently.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what even _I_ can do to help.”

The older faunus nodded then, rubbing soothing circles on Blake’s back slowly, keeping her touch firm and steady as Kali leaned her cheek against her head, letting out a short breath.

“How is Yang?” she asked quietly.

“Her wound has healed quite quickly,” Blake instantly answered, shifting a bit against her mother. “Still, a scar remains on her back. But emotionally… You know as well as me how much Ruby is important to her. How much _the team_ is important to her. Almost as soon as we came back home she locked herself in the room, barely going out. Recently she was making progress, but after Weiss’s accident and now that it’s Weiss’s turn to lock-”

“Weiss’s accident?” Kali repeated, looking down at her daughter with worry. “What accident?”

It made her sigh, deeply. Now she had to tell her mother how much she sucked at taking care of people, on top of everything.

“Weiss… Ever since we got back, she got obsessed with finding Ruby. Spent almost day and night searching. Eating less. Sleeping less. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t listen, said she didn’t have the time to rest. Until she fell asleep while she was driving. If she hadn’t been a Huntress, if she hadn’t been trained, she would have died on the spot, Mom,” her voice trembled at the end, and it took a moment for her to talk again, keeping her mother’s hand tightly in hers. “And then… We had a fight. I’ve been so worried about her, and now she never leaves her room. We have to leave trays in front of her door if I want her to eat something, and she always returns them with the food barely touched.”

She pinched her lips for a moment, remembering the look on Yang’s face when she realised that Weiss had set a glyph on the door to keep them from entering, and she closed her eyes, swallowing.

“And because of that, all the progress Yang had made…”

She gestured towards the hallway, finishing silently her statement that Yang was locking herself in the room again, and just thinking about it made Blake’s ear lower on her head again as she blinked slowly.

“I tried to talk to Weiss. She doesn’t even talk when we knock at her door. I have to listen if she’s breathing to know she’s really there, and now I’m just so _worried_ because Weiss never… She never stops. But now she did, full stop. I fear she’s letting herself… stop functioning.”

She took in a sharp, trembling breath, feeling her eyes prickle as she tried to clear her throat from the sudden tightness.

“I don’t know what to do, Mom. And I’m not strong enough to do this alone.”

“You always said she was only satisfied when she was productive,” Kali softly let out after a moment of thoughtful silence. “Maybe she needs to find something to do. Something to take care of, that isn’t related so closely on Ruby. I mean, I can only imagine what it must feel like to search again and again and finding nothing.”

When Blake stayed silent, mulling it over, the older faunus kissed the top of her head again, gently.

“Maybe she’s as lost as you are, right now.”

 

****

 

It took a long, long while for Yang to finally emerge from their shared room, being dragged in the living room by an overly confident Baxter as he moved the blonde around for her to sit right beside Blake and Kali, and as soon as she sat down, Yang leaned over, snaking between Blake and the back of the couch so she could rest her head on Kali’s shoulder, too.

The older faunus grunted a bit at the added weight, but only shifted so Yang could be more comfortable, and Blake pressed her forehead against her wife’s, bumping their noses together.

At least, Yang was out of the room and with them. But the blonde looked better than the last time she saw her. Spending time alone with Baxter must have been good for her.

“Okay,” Baxter sighed, rubbing his hands together, satisfied as he looked over the couch, before setting his hands on his hips with a firm nod, glancing around. “Where is Weiss?”

She felt Yang tensing as soon as he asked, and the blonde straightened her back hesitantly, rubbing her hand on her tight as she looked down, quickly glancing at Blake as she did and wetting her lips before answering.

“In her room. Second door to the left.”

“…But?” Baxter added, noticing the clear hesitation from the blonde as he furrowed his eyebrows, his hand returning to his sides.

Again, both Blake and Yang shared a glance, and this time Blake was the one to answer as she turned in her mother’s arms, enough to look Baxter in the eyes.

“You should know that she didn’t take Ruby missing well, Bax,” she gently started, seeing the boy’s shoulders drop a bit.

“Of course I know,” he said slowly, his voice low. “Ruby is very important to her. But she is to all of you, too,” he added, looking up at Blake and Yang. “That’s why she should be here, with you.”

“What we meant to say, sweetie, is that maybe Weiss won’t come out of her room,” Yang carefully let out with a short, tense smile. “Don’t take it personally if she doesn’t, alright?”

Baxter seemed to mull it over it over for a second, before nodding sharply, and he looked up with a lopsided smile as he drove his thumb in his chest, puffing it a bit.

“Okay. But she can’t say no to this face,” he assured with all the confidence in the world as he turned on his heels and started towards the hallway, a bounce in his steps.

As they all watched him go, Kali was silently shaking her head, and it was only when he was out of earshot that she sighed quietly.

“I think I’m telling him he’s handsome far too many times a day,” she mumbled. “I have created a monster.”

It made the blonde huff as she looked back at Blake’s mother, the corner of her lips curling up despite her tired features.

“A handsome monster,” she pointed out playfully, and Blake huffed, too.

At least, she was glad the blonde was attempting to joke a bit. Seeing Baxter must have made her feel that much better… And she hoped that Weiss would break out of her shell, too.

“It’s good to see you, Kali,” Yang gently reached over with her left hand to touch the older woman’s arm, smiling shortly at her.

And Kali quickly grabbed it, squeezing and keeping the blonde’s hand in hers, her thumb running over scarred knuckles, as gentle as her smile.

“It’s good to see you too, honey.”

And glancing around, Yang frowned a bit, her blonde eyebrows drawn together.

“Where’s Ghira?”

Perking up, Blake looked back at her mother, for she had thought about it shortly before her breakdown, but she hadn’t had the time to ask. They saw Kali look down for a second, grimacing a bit as she shrugged one shoulder.

“He wanted to come, but he can’t really leave Menagerie so soon after the war. Even if it was thankfully overlooked, there are still many repercussions on the island and around from the war.”

Kali was visibly disappointed, but understanding the situation still, so she shrugged again as she looked up, and her smile was there again.

“It only means I have all of you all to myself.”

It successfully made Yang smile as the older faunus winked, squeezing the blonde’s hand, but their attention turned back towards the hallway when they heard the sound of footsteps.

But Baxter only came back alone, and looking a bit defeated.

Still, he joined them on the couch, sitting right next to Yang and leaning on her with a sigh as he wore a serious and thoughtful expression on his face. Seeing him like this, Blake wondered if Weiss had talked to him, or if she gave him the silent treatment.

“Did she say anything?” she asked quietly, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah,” he sighed again, his shoulders drooping a bit. “She said she was glad we were visiting, but she wasn’t feeling well enough to join us. She didn’t even open the door, just spoke through it.”

He frowned, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he folded his legs, bringing his knees closer to his chest as he shifted to be more comfortable against the blonde’s side.

“I thought I could make her feel better like I did with Mom,” he mumbled, clearly disappointed of himself.

“Hey,” Yang reached out, touching his forehead with the tips of her prosthetic fingers to make him look up. “You made her feel better enough for her to talk to you.”

He looked up then, seeing the sad expression on the blonde’s face, and when he turned around he saw it mirrored on Blake’s face, and he sighed again, deeply, making Yang pet his head and lean over to drop a kiss on his head.

 

****

 

As the days slowly rolled by, the house seemed lively with Kali and Baxter there, and Yang seemed to get better by the day, much to Blake’s relief. The blonde smiled, now, and she even laughed a few times at Baxter’s stories, and one time, as Blake and Kali were making dinner, Yang had swooped behind the counter to hug her wife from behind for a moment, and even kissed her cheek.

She just wondered if, as soon as they were gone, Yang would return to her lethargic state. She hoped not. She couldn’t do this alone. Not anymore.

Weiss still hadn’t left her room, even though Baxter tried every day. She even let him enter a few times, and they would talk for a while, about this and that, like they used to. Blake knew they loved each other a lot, and she was glad that Weiss allowed this. She didn’t think she would take it very well if Baxter was sad because of Weiss. Still, she didn’t know what they were talking about, and she didn’t want to eavesdrop. Honestly, she was only glad that Weiss talked a bit. And Baxter would make sure the smaller woman ate more than a few crumbs.

But she never left her room.

Blake almost preferred when Weiss was angry, because at least, she talked to her. And got out of her room.

Kali and Baxter would stay only a couple of days more, for Kali had jokingly said that Ghira wouldn’t survive more than two weeks without them. And they all hoped that next time, they would go to Menagerie with better news from Ruby.

Meanwhile, Baxter was a joy to watch as he played in the snow, marveling at it with every second as Blake and Kali watched from the window, both of them chuckling in synch when Yang threw a ball right in the back of the boy’s head. He let out a high-pitched screech as his shoulders jolted up, his back in a ramrod line as the snow melted and would fall along his back, under his coat.

His retaliation didn’t take long to come as he spun right around, an evil smile on his lips as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde. Blake pulled out her scroll and started filming the scene.

Yang only laughed under the shower of snow Baxter was throwing at her, barely defending herself with one hand, until the boy jumped on her and made both of them fall over in a cloud of fluffy-like snow. Still chuckling, Blake stopped the recording to watch it again, leaning over so her mother could see it, too.

And after a moment, she hesitantly sent it to Weiss’s scroll. The smaller woman had always wanted to see Baxter play in the snow, even if it wasn’t Atlas’s. And she was utterly surprised when Weiss replied to the video.

_I know. I was watching._

As she looked up at Baxter helping Yang to her feet, both of them covered in snow with their cheeks and noses red from the cold, Blake remembered that Weiss’s room window looked over the front yard. She was glad that the smaller woman was up, and not spending all her day in bed, even though it was sitting in a chair to look outside. At least… At least, she was doing something, as small as looking outside was.

All through their stay at the house, Kali and Baxter were wonderfully sensible to Blake and Yang’s moods, always so careful and gentle with them, and so attentive when they decided to tell them a couple of stories from the war. Nothing dramatic, just snippets of things they had found funny.

And one time, Yang was so absorbed by her story that she realised too late that the story she was telling was about Lucky, and she stopped, her expression darkening in synch with Blake’s.

The boy, sensing the mood shift, glanced from Blake to Yang worriedly.

“Who’s Lucky?” he still asked, carefully.

As the blonde sighed, her eyes went up to the far wall of the living room where they had hung his hat and set his weapons on a shelve. After they had gathered to the cairn, they had tried to find Lucky’s relatives, for them to take his belongings, but they had found no one, and even after asking Qrow, the Huntsman had shrugged and said that Lucky never really had family.

And so, they decided to keep his things, wanting one day to hang the guns to try and do the man justice, same for the hat.

As a silence fell on them, it was Blake that answered after a sigh, toying with her hands as she was leaning against the kitchen island.

“He was another Huntsman that traveled with us,” she quietly said, following Yang’s stare. “A friend. The fifth member of the team,” she chuckled silently.

“Was?”

Baxter’s voice was hushed, knowing without having to ask that this was one of the numerous subjects Blake and Yang wouldn’t like to talk about, but he was still curious, and at the question, the blonde grimaced, nodding.

“He… he died,” Blake let out after a moment.

A silence settled on them as Kali stepped slightly closer, gently squeezing Blake’s elbow as she furrowed her brows, looking down at her scroll as it buzzed on the counter, the sound of it the only thing that was heard in the moment. But Yang didn’t let it linger for longer than that as she forced a smile on her lips and straightened her back, leaning her hip against the counter.

“You know what?” the blonde asked, talking to Baxter. “Lucky had a horse.”

“A horse?” he blinked, surprised.

Yang hummed, nodding, and her smile was a bit less forced as she continued.

“Who has a horse in these times, huh?” she chuckled quietly, looking down at her hands. “But I can understand why. It’s faster, you can carry more things, and it brings a bit of company when you keep traveling alone, like Lucky did. Her name is Pearl. She was Lucky’s best friend. He wouldn’t go anywhere without her. And Pearl really didn’t like Blake,” she added, looking up at her wife only to see her roll her eyes with a huff.

“In my defense, she didn’t really like any women besides Weiss. And you. And we both know that she prefers Weiss.”

It made the blonde huff as she leaned a hand on the counter, her expression thoughtful for a moment, before smiling again, her expression soft.

“He wasn’t the most talkative person, but he was a good man. Kind, even though he didn’t want to seem like he cared. I remember seeing him watch over the camp, last thing he did before going to bed, and first thing in the morning, making sure we were safe.”

Yang smiled again, her eyes still kept low before she glanced up at Blake, reaching over to touch her hand.

“You remember the little song he was always whistling?” she asked, and Blake nodded, her lips curling up. “He was always whistling for his horse when he tended to her, and one day, he heard Weiss humming along at the camp. It was always the same song, and hearing him whistling became oddly reassuring for us. And so, after hearing Weiss… Gosh, he was so happy,” the blonde remembered, shaking her head slightly. “And since then, he whistled at the camp too, Weiss humming along.”

She paused for a moment, and Blake took her hand, squeezing it tightly.

“He was happy with us, you know that,” Blake softly said to her when she saw the blonde’s expression darkening again.

“I know, it’s just…” Yang sighed quietly before swallowing, her thumb gently running along Blake’s finger. “I talked about Baxter so often to him, and I wanted Lucky to meet him. I’m sure you would have liked him,” she added to Baxter. “You would have been so impressed by the tricks he could do with his guns.”

The boy smiled a small smile as he stood, making his way to hug Blake and Yang closely, squeezing his head between their shoulders and making Blake chuckle quietly. Another silence fell on them as they hugged him back, the blonde nuzzling his hair for a moment before setting a sweet kiss on top of his head, before she chuckled quietly.

“Lucky also loved dogs,” Yang reported, making Blake grunt quietly as she raised her eyes to the sky.

Kali furrowed her brows, tilting her head curiously at her daughter’s reaction, but the blonde was quick to resume her story.

“You should have seen the look on Blake’s face when Lucky came back with a puppy Pearl had found,” she chuckled quietly, ignoring Blake’s glare. “She was _so_ annoyed.”

“And with good reasons!” her wife gritted, her ears flat on her head. “We were in the middle of a war! _You_ even said we couldn’t keep her!”

“But Weiss was so happy, and it made Ruby happy too, and, you know, if it could cheer them up I figured it wouldn’t be so bad to keep Angel. Besides, she was lifting the spirits of everyone around, you can’t deny-”

“Yang,” Blake suddenly interrupted, straightening her back so suddenly it made Kali jump in surprise, and effectively interrupted the blonde as she stumbled on the end of her sentence. “You’re a genius.”

It made Yang blink once.

“I know I am,” she nodded, faking the assurance in her voice as she quickly glanced at Kali to find _why_ exactly Blake was saying this.

“I think I have an idea.”

“For what?” Yang asked carefully, furrowing her brows as she glanced at Kali again, more confused than ever.

“For Weiss,” she breathed, looking down at her scroll. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but… I think I know what could help her.”

Something Weiss could take care of, something to do. She felt stupid for not thinking about it sooner as she rubbed a hand to her face with a grunt, but when she looked up she could see the steadily growing confused look on the blonde’s face, along with the confused and curious ones of Kali and Baxter, and she only smiled helplessly.

“Maybe Weiss needs her guardian Angel.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I can’t believe you called her that,” Yang was still cackling, three days later. “You really called her ‘guardian-‘”

“It felt like it at the time,” Blake interrupted dryly as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her ears flush on her head as she kept glaring at her wife. “Would you stop making fun of me? I’m scarifying my peace of mind for this.”

“I can’t wait to see your home place!” Baxter exclaimed as he shouldered his backpack, excitement making his eyes sparkle. “And I can’t wait to meet Angel! And to see Pops again!”

It made the blonde huff as she ruffled his hair, making the boy protest as he grumbled about his ponytail, before she looked back at Blake and Kali, a small smile on her lips before she stepped closer to hug the older faunus, before moving to hug Blake.

“We’ll be back in two days,” the blonde informed her in her ear, taking a moment longer.

“Two?” Blake frowned, wondering if it was wise.

She might be a bit protective after everything, but two days with Yang outside the house, alone with Baxter… Yang was better now, she kept repeating to herself, and she had Baxter with her. He would be enough for the blonde to stay grounded until they came back.

“Yeah,” the blonde sighed a little as she pulled away, holding her hands for a moment. “The flight is a couple of hours long, and since it’s been a while that I saw my dad, and the last time I saw him, I was… He sounded fine when I called him, but, you know. Just to make sure he’s really okay.”

Yang grimaced slightly as she looked down, and Blake brought her left hand up to leave a gentle kiss on it, earning a smile in return.

“Alright, then,” she said quietly. “Be safe.”

“You know it,” was the instant answer.

“And you,” Blake shifted then, opening her arms for Baxter to jump in them. “You keep an eye on her for me, okay?” she whispered in his hair, holding him close.

“You know it,” he smiled as he looked up, a playful glint in his vibrant green eyes.

She huffed, kissing his forehead before pulling away, smoothing one last bang out of his eye before taking a deep breath, and after they said their goodbyes and climbed in the car, they watched it roll away, and Blake couldn’t help but feel a spike of anxiety.

It was the first time in years that they were separated. As she quickly thought about it, the last time they weren’t together was when she was in Menagerie, and Yang still in Patch. Saying that she was nervous about this was an understatement.

But before she could think about it longer than that, she felt her mother taking her hand, the feeling so familiar and reassuring, and by that simple touch she felt her shoulders relax a little.

“They’re going to be fine, honey,” she heard Kali say, as if she was reading her mind. “They will be back before you know it.”

Humming, she didn’t say anything, but still squeezed her mother’s hand shortly.

The day rolled by as they were cuddled on the couch, reading, with Blake’s scroll vibrating regularly as Yang would give constant checkups, knowing that her wife would be anxious to see them go.

The bed felt big, that night, without Yang there taking most of the space in it. And cold, too. And awfully silent. And after two hours of rolling around, trying to fall asleep, she sighed, reaching for her scroll, and it was almost second nature for her when she thumbed Yang’s name, opening their conversation.

| _I hope you realise that I can’t sleep because you’re gone.|_

It was late in the night, and she didn’t really expected an answer as she let her scroll fall on the pillow next to hers with a deep sigh, shifting on her side, but her eyebrows raised high when she saw the screen lighting up, the vibration of the device muffled against the pillow, and she instantly reached for it.

| _Same here. At least, Baxter was kind enough to bunk with me._ |

She huffed, shifting a bit as she typed on the screen.

| _The bed is cold. I need you to warm it up._ |

| _Maybe ask Weiss?|_

Her fingers paused over the screen as she had been mid-sentence, her eyes staring at the last message Yang had send, and she promptly erased her sentence to start another one, before hitting the sent button.

| _You know as well as me that she won’t go out of her room.|_

_|Theeen maybe go sleep with her? Baxter told me she felt lonely. If it’s you going in her room, maybe she’ll want to.|_

Blake lowered her scroll then, taking a moment to think about it. Sure, she wasn’t Baxter, so there was that. And she still didn’t know if it was _really_ because of her if Weiss was holing herself up. She had apologised, many times, but she did it through a door, and well, yes it was because Weiss didn’t want her to enter and all, but… On the other hand, Weiss had been doing much better, according to Baxter.

Well. She wouldn’t know if she didn’t try, right?

She felt her scroll buzz in her hand, and as she glanced down, she saw the message Yang had sent her.

_|There’s always Kali.|_

Still hesitating, she stared at the message a moment more, before exiting the window of Yang’s chat, and slowly, carefully pressed on Weiss’s, seeing the last message Weiss had sent her after the video. And after taking a sharp breath in, she started typing.

| _Are you awake?|_

She hit the send button quickly before chickening out, and sat her scroll on the pillow next to her, waiting. She didn’t even know if Weiss would answer, even if she was awake. What would she say if Weiss answered? If she said yes, what should she do?

She closed her eyes, already regretting her message. Grunting, she rubbed her face with both hands, rolling away from her scroll and on the edge of the bed, she stared at the door. She should just go bunk with her mother, upstairs.

Her ears stood tall on her head when she heard the muffled noise of her scroll vibrating, and she promptly rolled back, taking the device to see the message. It was indeed from Weiss, she realised with surprise, not believing it.

| _Yes, I am.|_

It had took a while for Weiss to answer, so maybe Blake had wake her up with her message. Cursing mentally, she held her scroll with both hands, wondering what to do.

| _It’s quite late, you should be sleeping. Did I wake you up?|_

She dropped her scroll and covered her face with her hands. Of all the things she could have said, it had to be that.

The device buzzed mere seconds after, and she reluctantly flipped it over, narrowing her eyes to see the message.

| _I sleep all day, Blake.|_

God dammit, Belladonna.

But before she could start typing something else, another message popped on the screen.

| _What is it? Between the two of us, you’re the one who should be sleeping.|_

She sighed, rubbing her eyes in exasperation towards herself, still trying to find what to say, and so she started typing, erasing a few times, before hesitantly pressing on the sent button.

| _Yang isn’t there and I can’t sleep because the space is empty beside me. I was wondering if I could bunk with you?|_

There. Straight to the point. She knew Weiss didn’t like when people were beating around the bush. But unlike the other replies, this time the answer didn’t come instantly. In fact, Blake was waiting for five minutes now, and she sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed and already thinking about making her way upstairs when the answer finally came.

_|No.|_

Staring at her scroll, at Weiss’s simple answer, she felt her shoulders drop.

She should have known. She wasn’t Baxter, after all. And so she stood, putting on the soft bathrobe hanging from the back of the door with a shiver when she wasn’t under the covers, and she was opening the door when she felt her scroll buzz again, in her hand.

| _Sorry.|_

It made her pause. Why was Weiss apologising? Not wanting Weiss to think it was wrong for her to refuse, she quickly typed something in return, biting her lip as she was standing right next to the smaller woman’s door.

| _Hey, it’s okay. Maybe next time.|_

No answer came, this time.

 

****

 

The next day, she helped Kali pack up. They had come to an agreement: Kali was to leave, unfortunately when Baxter and Yang were gone, and as it was the school break for Baxter, the boy would stay with them for two more weeks, and would take the ship back to Menagerie alone. Baxter had strongly insisted that he could do this, and that he wanted to, and as long as Blake or Yang or both would drive him to the harbour and wait with him for the ship, Kali had reluctantly accepted.

And so, Kali was to leave early the next morning, and as her mother was talking and folding her clothes into the suitcase she had brought with her, Blake kept her company, slouched on the bed.

As Kali talked, Blake felt her scroll buzz in her back pocket, and she reached for it, nonchalantly, thinking that it was Yang sending her a message, but she furrowed her brows a bit when she realised it was Jaune.

Listening with one ear to her mother as the older faunus was rambling about what she was making grow in her garden, Blake thumbed the rectangle of the new message, and it lead her to the chat page, seeing that he had sent a link.

She already knew it was another contract that he wanted them to take.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she was about to delete the message when curiosity took over, and after pinching her lips for a second, she tapped on the link, the contract unfolding on the screen.

All in all, it was a simple mission, she realised as she read the report. A small pack of Grimm had been sighted close to a village, somewhere in southern Mistral. It was a job for three, maybe even two Hunters. Something simple and easy. Perfect for going back in the field.

As she looked at it, she realised that team RWBY had never officially took a mission as full-fledged Huntresses. As soon as they graduated, she and Yang had their wedding, then a few days later the war had started.

She wondered if they would ever take one with, still, the name of the team being RWBY. She hoped so.

And so, her hand gripping the scroll a bit tighter, she deleted the message and the contract, quickly typing the same refusal to Jaune before returning her attention to her mother as Kali was wondering if she needed fertilizer if she wanted to grow sunflowers.

At some point in the evening, as she was reading in the living room, she heard Kali knock at Weiss’s door, and it was only when she heard her wish Weiss a happy birthday in advance that she realised her birthday was next week.

And she also realised that Ruby went missing two weeks before her own birthday.

She closed her eyes. Ruby would be… twenty two, now.

God, twenty two. She couldn’t even believe that she was twenty four.

Twenty four and already so scarred, she thought bitterly, the battered ear on top of her head flicking unconsciously. Inside and out. It was weird to think that, even at this young age, or even younger, people could still die. She remembered some Hunters she had talked to, guessing that they were about her age, and the next day they were… gone.

She could still hear them cry for help through the radio, the sound ringing in her ears and muffling every other sound around her. Remembered how they cried when they found the burned school with the children inside. Remembered how they saw bodies gored by the claws of the Grimm, on the first day on the field, when the war started. Remembered everything.

A soft touch on her shoulder made her jump, so lost in thoughts she hadn’t heard Kali coming back, and the older faunus only raised a peaceful hand, smiling a bit, but in her eyes there was sadness as she locked her eyes with Blake.

“You were far away,” she said quietly before trying again, gently setting her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, keeping her touch light.

Staying still for a few seconds, Blake had to blink away the sudden tears in her eyes as she swallowed, feeling her throat so tight that talking seemed impossible for the moment. As she kept trying to talk, to just say something but not being able to, her mother only moved her hand from her shoulder to gently grip her chin, holding it steady, and leaned over to press a kiss on her forehead.

Closing her eyes under the soft touch, Blake swallowed, taking in a deep breath as she brought a hand up, clutching at her mother’s sleeve.

“Don’t go,” she croaked, for her throat still felt so tight. “Don’t leave. Please, Mom, I need you.”

Instantly, Kali sat beside her and pulled her in her arms, holding her tightly as Blake buried her face in her mother’s neck, breathing her scent to forget the ones she remembered, keeping Kali’s warm hands squeezed tightly in hers to forget how cold she remembered being. And keeping her eyes wide open as she could see the pulse on her mother’s neck, seeing how her dark, short hair brushed her nape to try and forget what she had seen.

That night, Kali didn’t even question it when Blake went straight to bed with her, and she didn’t protest when Blake spent the night pressed against her, holding her mother close to her as Kali held her hand.

The next day, however, she woke up feeling more peaceful than the day before as she felt her mother pet her hair, gently waking her up. The older faunus still looked worried, but when she smiled slightly, Kali returned one of hers before leaning over to kiss her forehead.

It was reluctantly that Kali waited next to the front door, waiting for the cab to arrive as she kept looking over her daughter, worriedly wringing her hands together.

“Are you sure it’d alright for me to leave?” she asked for the third time, her eyebrows drawn together and her tall ears, usually always standing straight on her head, were low and slightly jerked back.

“Yang and Bax come back today,” Blake said as she stepped closer, reaching over to take one of her mother’s hands gently. “I won’t be alone for long. It’s okay.”

“You asked me not to leave, yesterday,” her mother reminded, insisting. “You know I can stay if you need me to.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” she let out, quietly. “Dad is probably missing you so much, already, and he’s all alone. I promise I’ll be fine.”

As her mother was still looking hesitant, she pulled her in her arms to gently hug her, feeling Kali hug her right back, tightly. She sighed a little as she leaned her cheek on her mother’s head, wondering for a moment what her life would be like without her parents, when she felt her scroll vibrating in her back pocket, and without letting her mother go she reached for it, quickly checking what it was.

“Yang and Baxter are boarding the airship right now,” she reported, turning her head to nuzzled in her mother’s hair. “See? In only a few hours, they’ll be home. I’ll be fine, Mom.”

But Kali was still hesitant as her arms tightened around her daughter, and as if to insist, Blake saw, outside, the cab parking in front of the house, waiting. With a deep sigh and one last squeeze, she pulled away, hoping the smile on her lips was as assured as she hoped, and she kept her hands on her mother’s shoulder.

“The cab is here. Let me help you.”

And so, after a slight squeeze, Blake pulled away completely and leaned over to take the suitcase as Kali’s feet as her mother reluctantly put on her coat, and they stepped outside, Blake shivering a bit in only her jacket. After placing the suitcase in the trunk, she hugged Kali again, tightly, her mother returning it with as much force she could muster.

“Next time I call you, pick it up,” Kali mumbled somewhere against her shoulder.

It made her chuckle quietly as she buried her face in her mother’s hair, but she still nodded.

“I promise. I’m going to be fine, Mom. We’re going to be fine, one day.”

Kali nodded wordlessly before pulling away, and Blake could see the worry in her eyes as she looked up to lock her eyes with her as her mother brought a hand up, gently brushing back her hair before caressing her cheek with the back of her fingers. The touch lingered as the fingers trailed down to her chin to gently take it, her thumb rubbing soothingly, before she made Blake’s head tilt a bit as Kali rose to her tip toes, and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, tenderly.

Blake could only close her eyes under the soft touch.

“I love you, my beautiful girl,” Kali murmured against her skin.

“I love you too, Mom,” Blake said in the same hushed voice.

And after one final nod, the older faunus pulled away, giving one last smile before reluctantly climbing in the cab, the man behind the steering wheel tapping his fingers impatiently as she did, and as the car pulled away, Blake waved at it, seeing Kali doing the same.

And she stayed there even after the car disappeared around the corner, her hand slowly returning to her side as she stared towards where the car vanished, and she let the cold breeze blow against her, snowflakes melting on her skin like cold kisses all over her face and hands.

She didn’t know how long she stayed there, but at some point she looked up at the gray, heavy sky, her steamy breath invisible against the clouds, and she shivered again, letting out a sigh before turning to slowly get back inside. And as she did, she saw, on the window to the left, the curtains move slightly, in the corner of her eyes.

As she looked up, she stopped in her tracks when her eyes landed on Weiss, the smaller woman visibly trying to hide before Blake saw her, but as she had been spotted Weiss stayed there, half hidden behind the curtain.

Weiss looked like a ghost, with her pale skin and white hair, the shirt she was wearing white too as she was hidden behind the pale curtain… Blake swallowed, before hesitantly waving at her, not knowing why.

It took a moment as Weiss was still as a statue, but almost as hesitantly as Blake, the smaller woman waved back, shortly, before vanishing behind the curtains and out of view.

She sighed, staring at the window for a second, before resuming her walk to the safe and warm house.

At least, she had waved back.

 

****

 

A couple of hours later, the front door opened, and Yang entered with the breeze and a few snowflakes as she sighed, closing the door behind her as she was shaking the snow off her boots, and Blake almost jumped over the couch and ran to the blonde to hug her, never minding the snow in her hair and shoulders.

Surprised, Yang blinked once before returning the hug, nuzzling her wife’s hair for a long moment before gently setting a kiss on her human ear.

“I missed you,” the blonde said in her ear, keeping Blake close to her.

“I missed you too,” the faunus only tightened her embrace with that.

Yang kept nuzzling her hair for a moment, before her lips brushed against her ear again.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded quickly, pressing a bit closer against the blonde.

“I just missed you.”

“Okay.”

There was a silence, and Blake heard, barely, the sound of someone laughing outside, and she suddenly remembered where Yang was coming back from, and she reluctantly pulled away, keeping the blonde’s left hand in hers as she moved to look through the window.

She could see Baxter laughing as he was forming a ball in his hand with snow, and in front of him, laying on both her fore legs and wagging her tail widely, with still one ear standing and the other drooping, Angel waited, her attention completely on the boy.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

The blonde sounded like she was still astonished that the faunus was the one who proposed this.

 “Because she’s grown,” Yang warned, the corner of her lips curling up. “And she was _very_ happy to see me.”

At that moment, Baxter threw the ball in the air, and Angel jumped high to catch it, twirling around to land on all four, and with her mouth full of snow she started running excitedly around the boy, sending snow everywhere as she did, and it made Baxter laugh again.

“Of course I’m not okay with this,” Blake grumbled, her hand unconsciously tightening on Yang’s. “But if it can help Weiss…”

She took a deep breath and gave a short, decisive nod to Yang, one that the blonde returned with a smile, and she left her hand to move to the door as Blake instantly went around the kitchen island, apprehensive.

Yang opened the door and gave two quick, clear whistles, one higher than the other, and the dog’s head instantly turned to Yang as Angel made her way to her, the blonde letting the dog come in.

Angel had grown indeed. The last time Blake saw her, she was just a tiny thing that was not even reaching her knees, but now… feeling her ears fall flat on her head and the hair on the back of her neck rise at the sight of the large, brownish mass sprinting her way, she promptly jumped on the island, trying to keep away from the over excited dog. And her nightmare continued as the dog, wagging her whole body because apparently her tail wasn’t enough, leaned back on its back leg to set both her large front paws on the island to try and lick Blake’s arm as the faunus was gripping the edges with a vice grip, resisting the urge of hissing.

It made Yang chuckle as she grabbed the dog’s collar firmly to pull her back, and she made Angel sit between her legs as the blonde tried to calm her down, but the dog was whining and whimpering as she couldn’t stop wagging her tail, stepping in place and tumbling over in Yang’s legs, making her stumble a bit.

Well, some things never changed.

“You’re gonna have to calm down, baby girl, you know Blake doesn’t like it when you jump on her,” the blonde reminded as she kept her grip firm on the dog’s collar.

Angel whined again, letting out a low groan as the dog slowly sank down, flipping on her back and staring at Blake with an upside down smile, her tongue lolling out of her mouth with her four legs in the air, her tail still wagging. The faunus raised a single eyebrow at that, unsure as the dog kept its mismatched eyes on her, and instead of climbing down Blake only sighed as she sat on top of the island, leaning her elbows on her knees.

“I am _so_ going to regret this,” she mumbled as Yang pulled off her coat, and carefully slipped out of her boots, making sure Angel didn’t move from her spot as Baxter stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Mama! Hi! Angel is _so_ fun to play with!” he was beaming when he noticed how the dog was placed and he laughed, making Angel wiggle in place to turn her head towards him, her usually drooped ear tumbling over and making both ears look like they were standing.

“Do you wanna come with us?” the blonde asked, pointing at the hallway, and after one last glance to Angel, she reluctantly jumped down, but kept her distances.

As Baxter was getting out of his boots and coat, Yang reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently and waiting for Blake to look up at her, to lock her eyes with her as she offered a soft smile, her eyes filled with gratefulness.

“Thanks for doing this,” the blonde gently said, squeezing her hand again. “I’m sure she’s going to appreciate it.”

For a moment, Blake could almost forget the presence of the dog as their eyes were locked together, and she could see, amidst the pain and tiredness of the last months, the same adoration and love she had always seen in those beautiful lilac eyes… Only for the moment to be thrown out the window when a wet tongue licked the hand she had kept on her side. Again, she had to keep herself from hissing as she brought her hand up, taking several steps back as Angel looked at her, sitting now, her tongue falling from her mouth with a quiet whine.

And Yang sighed, shaking her head, but there was still a smile on her lips as she petted the dog’s head affectionately.

Angel’s presence was going to be good for Yang, too.

And so, after the faunus had wiped her hand on Yang’s shirt, making the blonde roll her eyes, they made their way to Weiss’s room, Blake consciously letting Baxter go in front of her and they stopped there, hesitating. After one last glance, Blake was the one who knocked on the door, three short, quiet knocks.

Again, only silence answered them. And as Blake pulled her ears, she heard long, deep breaths. Maybe Weiss was sleeping.

“Weiss, we’ve got something for you,” Yang tried, gesturing for the dog to sit.

But Angel must have heard something inside, or could maybe smell Weiss’s scent because she started scratching at the door, sniffing loudly in the frame. And she started whining, wagging her tail with force as she scratched the door again.

“No, Angel,” the blonde slightly pulled on the collar, trying to make her sit for the dog to calm down.

“Angel?”

Her ears suddenly perking, Blake stared at the door, hearing the quiet word coming from inside the room, and she held her breath for a moment as the dog whimpered louder and louder. Yang must have seen her face change, because she stared at Blake for a moment with pinched lips, before reaching over and trying to open the door.

It was unlocked, for once. And the door opened without resistance.

As soon as she saw the inches of the door opening, Angel pushed through, Yang letting go of the collar as the dog jumped on the bed with so much force that it sent both her and Weiss, who was sitting up, tumbling, the smaller woman groaning quietly as Angel couldn’t stop whining, licking every inches of her face as she kept falling over on her sides and back. But they could both hear the gasp Weiss had made when she had seen the dog, and now they could see her smile as she cried, hugging Angel closely even though she kept wiggling in her arms.

It took a moment for Weiss to finally look up, never minding that the dog was licking her neck and chin, and she sniffled as her eyes fell on Blake.

“You said you didn’t want a dog in the house,” she let out, her voice tight and rough.

Her red eyes made her look so pale as it seemed to be the only touch of color on her, and even the color of her eyes seemed washed over, the blue of her them looking paler than normal but the expression in them was of complete surprise and gratefulness. The faunus smiled a little, feeling her throat tightening at the sight of Weiss, seemingly so small and frail in Ruby’s shirt, and her countless refusal to eat something had only made her even frailer.

“If it helps you, then it’s worth it,” she said after a difficult swallow. “The ground rule is the same; keep her away from my things.”

Nodding vehemently, the smaller woman hugged the dog close again, hiding her face in Angel’s collar.

“You’re so big, now,” Weiss whispered with a smile in the dog’s drooping ear, before sitting up on the bed, never minding that her hair was undone and all tangled up. Never minding that she looked like a mess. “Thank you.”

Her blue eyes were towards Blake and Yang, and both of them nodded solemnly, the faunus reaching for Yang’s hand instinctively.

“Just get better, Weiss,” Blake let out quietly, this time avoiding the smaller woman’s eyes. “It’s my only condition.”

The smaller woman stared at her for a few seconds before looking down at Angel, who was flipped over on her back, her tail still wagging widely as the dog let out a low groan and closed its mouth in a clack, wiggling to move closer to Weiss, and she wordlessly nodded, reaching a hand to scratch the dog’s chest.

As if he had been holding himself back until Weiss gave an answer, Baxter jumped inside the room and sat on Weiss’s bed, a large smile on her lips and his vibrant green eyes shining as he looked at the smaller woman.

“I have taken pictures and videos with Mom’s scroll when we were in Patch, because Angel and Zwei were playing together! Do you want to see them?”

Before Weiss even had the time to answer, Yang was already pulling out her scroll to give it to the boy and when he took it excitedly it made her roll her eyes a bit, but she still smiled. Then, Baxter started rambling happily, tapping and swiping at the screen and showing some to Weiss, and Blake and Yang slowly left them like that, leaving the door ajar.

They sat on the couch with a sigh, in the living room, and again, Blake snuggled Yang’s side as she took her hand, and the faunus moved to the side, shamelessly climbing on the blonde’s lap and curled up there, but it was only a second after that Yang closed her arms around her, squeezing tightly.

But before Yang could say something, Blake beat her to it.

“How was your dad?”

The blonde let out a breath, seemingly deciding to leave it be for now as she shifted a bit to be more comfortable, keeping Blake in her lap.

“He said he was fine, but he didn’t really look like he was,” Yang reported quietly. “Still, he was happy to see us. And… We had a good talk. Just him and I. About… the war, Ruby, everything. I’m glad we did.”

The blonde nodded to herself as she sighed quietly, pressing a gentle kiss on Blake’s temple.

“We also talked about you and Weiss,” Yang continued, and it earned her attention again as her ears perked up. “And, it led to Angel. Dad said that if Weiss gets a bit better, she needs to see someone. Like we all should do, in fact,” the blonde snorted bitterly. “But, if a dog is really what Weiss needs, Dad talked to me about a guy who trains dogs to become PTSD service dogs. I thought, if Weiss is alright with this, we could take Angel there.”

Nodding silently, Blake shifted, burying her face in the blonde’s collar.

“Good idea.”

“Are you really okay? This isn’t just Angel.”

Blake stayed silent for a moment, breathing Yang’s scent as she closed her eyes, feeling her warmth, feeling secured and safe in her wife’s arms.

“I just really missed you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad I put a dog in this story. Like, so glad.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeyyyy it's me! I'm sorry for the delay, I was just... sucked by work, and by Netflix, more precisely Jessica Jones.
> 
> Anyway, uh, I'm not the most consistent with my updates, so there's that, too. Because sometimes, I forget I have half a chapter already done, and it takes a century for me to remember it.
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading, as always!

At first, it was Yang that went outside with Angel, but the blonde didn’t really seemed to mind as the dog always asked for the door to do her business quickly, before wanting to go back inside, and returning to Weiss’s room. Then, at some point, she heard the claws of Angel scratching the floor in the middle of the night, and the quiet footsteps following it.

After a couple of days, she figured that Weiss herself went with Angel, but only at night, when they all were sleeping. She figured it was some improvement. At least, she was going out of her room, and out of the house.

Baxter was going back and forth between the living room with them and to Weiss’s room, lifting the spirits of everyone. Still, Weiss stayed in her room, except at night, and Angel rarely left her side. Just like before.

But the days rolled by as a routine settled over the house as the chores were made, Baxter helping them, and they often found themselves sitting around the table as the boy would show them what he was learning in school, paging through the few textbook he had brought along with him. And every night, when the sky wasn’t covered in clouds, they would go upstairs, in Baxter’s room, and curled up on the windowsill to look at the stars.

It wasn’t the same as Menagerie, the many streetlights and the lights of the city dimming the light of the sky, but they could still make out the stars, and they would sometimes tell stories for the boy, or just watch in silence, comfortable.

“Is Weiss going to be alright, one day?” Baxter asked one night, his eyes up to the sky as he was bundling up under the blanket with Yang, before looking down and glancing at Blake and Yang. “Are you?”

She glanced at Yang, locking their eyes together for a long moment. Her wife’s lilac eyes were filled with uncertainty, and she felt a wave of sympathy wash over her, understanding the feeling completely.

“Maybe one day,” she said in a sigh, seeing the very short, small smile pulling Yang’s lips. “Maybe one day.”

The boy only nodded, his features serious for a moment before reaching over to take her hand, holding Yang’s with his other, and he settled closer to yang’s again, sighing deeply as he returned his attention on the sky.

“I miss Ruby,” he let out after a silence. “I wish she could come back soon.”

As Blake was about to agree, she saw the swift change of expression on her wife’s face, saw the content look morph into one of infinite sadness, with a slight touch of anger, but the blonde closed her eyes then, burying her face in the boy’s hair as she held him closer against her.

“I wish she could come back, too,” Yang murmured in Baxter’s ear, and even Blake could hear how tight her voice was.

The boy turned his head, nuzzling into blonde hair as he kissed Yang’s temple, moving in her arms to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug, and didn’t let go for a very long time.

That night, when they went to bed, the blonde clung to her as if she was an anchor in the wild waters of the ocean as Yang wept quietly in her neck, but she held her closely, not trying to hold back her tears.

Gods, if there was a way, any way, to have a clue that Ruby was still alive, or where she could be, she would do it. In a heartbeat. And she knew that it was the same for Yang, and for Weiss, too.

The reports she was receiving from other Hunters were growing scarce as everyone seemed to start thinking like Jaune did. Like Ozpin did. That Ruby died, and they needed to move on. Velvet even tried to talk to her about it, via her scroll, but… she couldn’t give up like this. She knew Ruby wouldn’t, if the situation was reversed.

All too soon, Baxter had to leave, much to everyone’s disappointment. She and Yang helped the boy pack up, and she would always reach out to him, unconsciously, needing to take his hand or touch his arm or pet his head, to have the reassurance that he was right there, and wouldn’t disappear suddenly.

Many times, he had asked with a laugh that she stop petting his head, and she always apologised, for she hadn’t noticed she was doing it in the first place.

Yang understood the feeling. She kept hugging the boy for no reason, and kept checking and double-checking his suitcase and bag, making sure he had everything, and kept asking if he was sure he wasn’t forgetting anything.

It made Baxter laugh. He knew they were just trying to look out for him. He didn’t mind and always tried to reassure them.

They decided that Blake would be the one to drop him to the harbour, for they didn’t want to leave Weiss alone, and before leaving, Baxter hugged Yang for a long moment, the blonde closing her eyes as she squeezed him tightly against her before peppering his head with kissed, and after pulling away, he smiled at her, before moving to the hallway, seemingly going to Weiss.

The ride to the harbour was a bit long, but Baxter kept babbling about everything, how he liked the snowy view, how the city was built on the edges of the cliff, and asking questions about this and that, ultimately trying to keep the mood light and fill the silence. But still, worry still settled over her as she parked the car, and as they were waiting for Baxter to climb on, she held the boy’s hand in hers tightly as she glanced around, making sure nothing suspicious was there, until she felt a short tug on her hand.

“Mama,” Baxter huffed quietly but still smiled up at her. “It’s okay. You can let go of my hand.”

Lowering her eyes, she realised she was more crushing it than holding it, and she let go, apologising quietly but he shook his head with a smile.

“It’s okay,” he said again, his vibrant green eyes sparkling in the dim sunlight. “You’re worried. I get it. But I’ll be fine, I promise. I just have to get on the ship, and Gramma will be waiting for me.”

He locked his eyes with her, making sure she was attentive, insisting gently.

“I’ll be fine. Nothing can happen.”

She swallowed, about to tell him every bad thing that could happen between here and Menagerie. A Sea Dragon Grimm attacking the ship. A raid by pirates. Kidnapers, or extremist racists that could think a child - teenager, she corrected herself – like him would be easy prey. But she bit it back, preferring the soft and gentle reassurance of her son.

She took a deep breath, focusing on the boy in front of her, who smiled at her gently. She gently pulled him in her arms with a sigh, hugging him lightly as she leaned her cheek on top of his head.

“You’re right,” she breathed. “You’re right. You’ll be fine.”

“You can always message me on my scroll,” Baxter assured, squeezing her.

The horn of the ship blew, making her wince with her ears pulling back to lay flat on her head and making the boy chuckle, and as she watched him walk away with his bag slung on one shoulder, lazily pulling his suitcase behind him as he showed his ticket to the man at the gate, she waved at him.

Waving back, Baxter crossed the bridge to get on the deck and stayed on its edges until the ship pulled away from the harbour, and he kept waving until he was just a dark dot on the white background of the ship. She brought her hand down to her side as people left around her, some just arriving and some had seen someone get on the ship, like her. But she stayed there for a moment longer, her eyes fixated on the ship speeding away.

Her heart felt heavy. Her throat felt tight, and she had a bit of trouble breathing. She could also feel her hands shaking slightly. Of course she was anxious to see him go, but now… Now she was left alone, as everyone around her has departed.

Blinking, feeling her eyes dry after spending so long without blinking, she took a deep, trembling but still steadying breath, and exhaled slowly, setting her mind on the next objective: going home. She just had to get back home, to Yang, to her security, and everything would be alright. Except it wouldn’t.

As she sat behind the wheel, she sorted through every action like a checklist, finding it grounding, and only made her focus on the task at hand.

She should have realised it sooner. Should have realised it when Kali left, when she was left alone until Yang and Baxter came back. She… she didn’t like being alone. She didn’t like seeing people go.

It only made her think back of when she saw Lucky, Ruby and Weiss go, then left her alone with an unconscious Yang as she waited anxiously for Ruby’s updates, only for them to learn that Lucky died and Ruby was missing.

Her hand shook as she tried to insert the key in the hole to start the car, missing twice before she closed her eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths to try and calm down. But the thought that first Kali, then Baxter leaving to maybe never see them again made her freeze, her throat tightening so much that she couldn’t breathe for a moment.

Letting out a wheezing breath as she sat back in the seat, she stared at the ceiling of the car, squeezing the keys in her hand so much that it bit in her skin enough to hurt, and as she felt her scroll vibrating in her pocket, she had half the mind to pull it out, seeing that Yang was calling her.

She let out a chocked laugh. Yang couldn’t call at a better time.

She quickly swiped her thumb over the screen to take the call, and the blonde didn’t wait for her to say something.

“ _Hey Blake, I was just wondering if you were on the way back? It has been a while since you texted me, and… Blake? Hello?_ ”

Just the sound of her voice was soothing, and she felt the tightness of her throat relax enough for her to croak a sound that sounded very vaguely to her wife’s name, which seemed to alarm Yang even more.

“ _Blake what’s going on? Where are you? Is Baxter alright?_ ”

“Yes,” she managed to let out. “Baxter… is on the ship. He’s fine.”

Every word almost hurt as she forced them out past her lips. She had to at least make sure Yang wouldn’t start panicking because she couldn’t reassure her fast enough.

“ _Okay, good,_ ” the blonde sighed on the line, relieved, but she could picture the change of expression as Yang talked again. “ _What’s going on? Are you alright?_ ”

As she tried to talk, her throat tightened again, and she only could gape as she tried to let words, or at least a sound, past her lips.

“ _Blake?_ ”

She could hear that Yang was worried beyond words, and she would soon start panicking as well, and Blake closed her eyes again, gritting her teeth as her hands curled into fists again, trying to focus on her wife’s voice, repeating to herself that she was fine, that Baxter and Kali would be fine, that they weren’t at war anymore.

“Yang,” the name tumbled out of her lips in a broken sound, along with a choked sob. “I can’t… I’m not-”

“ _Calm down, love,_ ” the blonde’s voice was softer, seemingly understanding the situation. “ _Breathe. You need to breathe. Where are you? Are you still at the harbour?_ ”

She nodded even if she knew Yang couldn’t see it, feeling some reassurance in the movement, but she still hummed positively, trying to concentrate on her breathing as she still could feel her breath working its way past her lips.

“ _Okay,_ ” the blonde panted on the other side of the line, and there was a soft rusting noise, too. “ _I’m coming to pick you up, alright? I’ll take a cab. You just stay there and wait for me, okay?_ ”

“Weiss-” she croaked, a hitch in her breath.

“ _Is sleeping. I just checked up on her. She won’t notice I was gone, and Angel is with her. Just wait for me, I won’t be long._ ”

After agreeing, she heard the tone signaling that Yang had hung up, and she leaned forward, pushed her seat back so she could put her head between her knees without knocking her head on the wheel, and she focused on taking deep breaths, on the fact that Yang was coming, that Weiss was home and safe, that Kali was fine and Baxter would be fine. He wasn’t a kid, anymore, and far more capable and resourceful than he used to be.

They were fine. She just had to breathe.

She remembered waiting, scroll in hand, in the cold morning a few hours after Lucky, Ruby and Weiss had left. The sky was gray and low, and her breath would go up in a discreet column of steam as she stared at her scroll, waiting for news. Yang was resting beside her, safe and warm under the thick blanket she had tucked her in, with Angel curled up under it. Pearl had been discreet the past few days, standing near Lucky’s things as she would pull away on the tall grass there.

The wait between updates had been agonising. Each time, she had been on the brink of calling back up with the radio when her scroll buzzed, Ruby telling her they were fine so far, that they had encountered Grimm and were closing in on the target. At some point, Yang had woken up, and they had waited in tense silence in the growing cold air.

It was Yang, at one point, that insisted that she should join them. She had assured her that she was able to stay awake to watch on the scroll, and would call the back up if need be. But it bugged the blonde that Blake, healthy and able to fight, would stay behind just because of her.

At first, she was opposed to the idea. She didn’t want to leave Yang alone. But as the hours rolled by, the wait gnawed at her, and she finally gave in, making absolutely _sure_ Yang would be alright, and after a quick, messy kiss, she had left.

And she ran. She didn’t even remember how long she ran, she just did, following the trail her three other teammates had left behind. After traveling so long with Lucky, she had picked up a lot on following trails, and finding them in the first place.

When she found traces of fighting, claw marks on the ground and on the trees, she had urged on, knowing she was on the right track, and then she saw splotches of blood on the ground, soaking the grass in a few spots, and she barely had time to stop to look at it that she heard a very familiar chattering sound.

Weiss’s glyph shattering weren’t like any other sound. It wasn’t quite like glass, but not like ice either. Either way, it wasn’t a sound she liked to hear, in any situation.

She instantly dashed towards the sound, using a shadow to quicken her pace until she burst out of the tree line in time to see Weiss’s rapier breaking, and as she used a shadow to get closer in a flash, she planted the blade of her weapon in the ground, deep, as an added security. Her heart stopped when she threw herself forward, skidding on the dirt of the edge of the cliff, and when her hand clasped around Weiss’s wrist, holding her with a vice grip and meeting the blue eyes of the smaller woman, she wondered for a second how she was still able to breathe.

And then, Weiss called for Ruby. And then… then Weiss told her about Lucky, and then… then…

The door of the car opening beside her brought her back to the present as she opened her eyes wide, gasping, and before she could do or say something, she felt the firm press of Yang’s prosthetic against her back, the warmth of her left hand, going to brush her cheek as the blonde pushed her hair back, trying to meet her eyes with a worried look in them.

She didn’t think she could care less about the people staring as Yang pulled her out of the car to hold her on her lap, as the blonde sat beside the car. She didn’t care about a single thing in the world as she felt her wife’s arms locking around her, securing her as she started crying helplessly, clutching at Yang’s back desperately.

The ride back was spent in a haze as she was huddled in the passenger seat, holding on Yang’s prosthetic hand all the while and never minding that it was cold even through the glove, never minding the snow melting in her hair, too.

 

****

 

The next days rolled by without her really knowing as the routine they had established with Baxter there kind of felt useless without him, and they slowly worked another routine. They had talked about Blake’s ‘incident’ at the harbour very briefly, but they soon found out that if Blake left alone to go somewhere, it was alright. It was only when someone left her that she… got anxious.

Weiss was still spending most of the day in her room with Angel, but as the room was permanently left ajar for the dog to come and go, they would sometimes peek in the room to make sure the smaller woman was alright. It happened once or twice that, when they got out of their room in the morning, Weiss was outside with Angel, the smaller woman sitting on a cushion on the shoveled porch, a thick blanket wrapped tightly over her coat as she watched the dog play in the snow with a ghost-like boarbatusk.

On mornings like this, Yang, or her, or both of them would join their teammate, and Weiss, after a moment of thought, didn’t seem to mind. In those moments, Blake would watch her, trying to be discreet as she did.

Weiss’s cheeks were hollow, her high cheekbones sending a shadow on them, and the eye bags under her eyes were dark as the smaller woman stared right in front of her, and she soon found out that it was at nothing in particular. And every time Weiss would curl on herself under the blanket, Angel would trot closer, and wiggle her head between Weiss’s arms to lick the smaller woman’s face, making her focus on the present.

And it would make Weiss smile every time as she would pet the dog’s head affectionately, grabbing the dog by the head to leave a soft kiss right between Angel’s mismatched eyes, making the dog wag her tail.

Then, after a moment, Weiss would stand, gathering the blanket around her and take the cushion in her hand, and without a word spoken from her Angel would come back by her side, looking up at her attentively as the smaller woman would make her way back inside, then return in her room.

One night, when Blake was reading in the living room while Yang was in the shower, she felt good. A fire was crackling quietly in the hearth, and she was tucked under a soft blanket with one of her favorite books in her hands, waiting on Yang to come out to cuddle with her, but instead of footsteps coming in the hallway, it was the quiet scratches of Angel’s claws on the floor.

She kept her attention on her book as the clicking stopped, and as the silence stretched on she quickly glanced up above her book, seeing that Angel was staring at her, her usually standing ear seemingly low on her head. But the dog only stared at her, at the foot of the couch. Not asking for the door, just… staring at her.

“What?” she almost hissed, her hands clutching her book a bit closer to her.

Angel didn’t move, only making the quietest whine as the dog lowered her head a bit, still staring at her, and it made her furrow her brow. This was strange. Angel has never done this.

Quickly glancing around, she thought that maybe Weiss would be around and would explain the dog’s presence, but she found her surroundings empty of her teammate, and the dog whined quietly again, this time a bit louder, and she returned her attention to the dog, glancing to the hallway in a flash.

“What is it? What do you want?”

As an answer, the dog turned around and made a few steps towards the hallway, stopping to look back at her, and whined again. It made Blake close her book, raising a single eyebrow.

“Do you… want me to follow you?”

The curled tail, usually held up, was now hanging low but it still wagged slightly at Blake’s words, and when she sat her book on the table, standing up, the lowered ear stood up as the tail wagged a bit more, and after taking a few steps in the dog’s direction, Angel went to the hallway, her claws clicking.

With a sigh and her eyes rising to the sky, Blake turned the corner, wondering why she was entertaining Weiss’s dog like this, but she saw Angel stopped right outside of Weiss’s door, looking back at her and seemingly waiting for her. Frowning, she quickened the pace, feeling worry coil in the pit of her stomach at the dog’s strange antics, and upon seeing Blake get closer, Angel entered the room.

Peeking inside, Blake could see the dog go straight for the sliding doors, at the end of the room, that were the walk in wardrobe, and Angel started scratching at it, whining quietly, before looking back at her. quickly glancing around, her heart dropped in her chest when she understood what was happening.

Weiss was nowhere to be seen. The smaller woman must have hid in the wardrobe, where the dog couldn’t reach.

And so, she stepped in the room, hesitating in front of the sliding doors, before slowly sliding one open, the faint lighting of the room illuminating Weiss’s form as the smaller woman was curled up on the floor, holding in her arms a couple of Ruby’s clothing, tear trails drying on her cheeks as she must have cried herself to sleep.

Angel whined beside her again, but instead of trying to go inside, she just sat beside Blake, and looked up at her, almost expectantly. As she looked at Weiss like this, and thinking about the dog that went to fetch help…

“Good girl,” she quietly let out, making the dog’s ears perk up and the tail wagging slightly.

She then crouched, gently setting her hand on Weiss’s shoulder, wondering if she should wake her up or just move her to the bed, but at the simple touch, the smaller woman jumped slightly, opening her eyes and glancing around, confused, until her eyes locked with hers.

“Blake…” Weiss croaked, her voice rough from misuse and for crying for so long.

Seeing the smaller woman clutching at Ruby’s clothing, she decided to step closer, and sat down beside Weiss, hesitantly wrapping an arm around the smaller frame but when she wasn’t met with resistance, she pulled her against her, tucking the white head under her chin.

She heard the soft gasp Weiss let out, and she felt her tremble, but she only looped her other arm around her, holding her closely as she nuzzled her hair, closing her eyes.

“I miss her too,” she murmured against alabaster hair.

And as Weiss curled up against her side, squeezing the clothes against her, Angel laid down, curled up in front of the wardrobe’s door, seemingly guarding it as the smaller woman started crying again, and Blake only held her as closely as she could, gently rocking them back and forth.

 

****

 

Blake and Yang had talked often about when Weiss would come out of her room, and they figured that the best course of action was to not make it a big deal when she would do it. But still, it was hard not to be surprised and hopeful when they heard the clicking of Angel’s claws coming in the hallway, followed by discreet footsteps as they were watching a movie, in the living room.

Both of them turned to the hallway, seeing the dog appear first as it looked up at Weiss, seemingly making sure the smaller was alright as she kept a hand leaned on the wall as she walked, the white shirt seemingly floating around her thin frame, and she paused for a second as she reached the open space of the living room. Taking a breath, Weiss took a couple of steps towards the couch, but she lost her balance, and she barely had the time to stumble that Yang had already jumped over the couch to catch her, her form so frail between the blonde’s arms.

“Hey there,” Yang still smiled warmly at her, making Weiss look up as she blinked slowly, and Blake could tell there was a touch of worry in her eyes. “Where are you going like that? Just _dropping_ by?”

It made Weiss chuckle as the smaller woman shifted, returning to a safer footing, and it strangely made Blake smile even though it was, in her opinion, too soon to make a joke, but Weiss didn’t seem to mind.

“I wanted to spend some time with you,” the smaller woman said, leaning back in the blonde’s arms. “Angel had been trying to get me out of the room all day. Tugging at my shirt and all that. But now I’m… feeling a bit light-headed.”

She closed her eyes, and Yang closed her arms around Weiss as Angel stepped a bit in the same place, wagging her tail as she looked up at Weiss, but even Blake could tell the dog was nervous, knowing that something was wrong with her owner. Yang looked up towards her, and Blake could see the panic rising in her lilac eyes as the blonde glanced at her scroll, on the table, wondering silently if they should call for help. But she didn’t want to scare Weiss away, now that she was out of her room willingly. Well, as willingly as you could when your dog tugged you out of it, anyway.

“Did you eat something, today?” she asked to Weiss, keeping her voice low and quiet as Yang gathered the smaller woman in her arms to step closer to the couch.

Gently, carefully, the blonde set her down beside Blake, pushing back a long lock of ivory hair back behind her ear as she did, while delicate white eyebrows furrowed for a moment, thinking.

“No,” the smaller woman let out, huddling on the couch as she kept her eyes closed.

“Well, are you hungry?” she pressed on, glancing at Yang.

The blonde understood as she was already halfway to the kitchen, pausing before opening a cabinet or the fridge as she waited for Weiss’s answer.

“I don’t know,” the smaller woman finally let out in a breath.

Staring at her, Blake suddenly wanted to cry. Weiss had lost so much weight, and the trays she was returning were still barely touched. She had thought that Angel would help, but… The feeling of Weiss being made of glass was weirdly fitting, now.

She looked at the dog, who had lean her chin on the couch, the wet snout barely inches away from Weiss’s hand as her mismatched eyes were fixated on Weiss, her tail wagging nervously. And she realised that Angel _did_ help. Like right now. The dog knew something was wrong, and went to fetch help.

She noted, somewhere on her mind, that she should by the dog some treats.

“Could you eat something?” she asked carefully, her voice kept low as she returned her attention to the smaller woman, hoping Weiss could open her eyes and see how worried she was. How they all were.

And Weiss did just that, as she opened her eyes and locked it with hers, for a long moment silent before she sighed quietly as her gaze lowered, but she nodded silently, moving a hand to pet the dog’s head affectionately. Glancing back at Yang, she saw that the blonde had perked up again, and was fidgeting in place, wondering what she could do, so Blake turned to Weiss again, reaching a hand over, palm up, waiting for Weiss to take it.

“What do you want to eat?”

She kept her voice soft, not wanting to force anything on her, and she was glad when Weiss straightened her head, leaning her cheek on the back of the couch to look at Yang, and she smiled slightly.

“Your pancakes,” she said, loud enough for the blonde to hear her. “It has always been comforting, to me.”

“Right away!” Yang spun on her heels and went to work, already pulling a bag of flour from the kitchen island.

The smaller woman smiled softly as she watched the blonde pace around in the kitchen, and she finally reached for Blake’s offered hand, squeezing it gently. They all knew Weiss would probably not eat one entire pancake, but just the thought that she had asked for it was enough to reassure them, that she was sitting in the living room with them was enough to lift the worry for a moment as they watched Yang in the kitchen, silent, never minding the movie that was playing on the TV.

 

****

 

They even slept together that night, Weiss seemingly needing their presence, and they sandwiched her between them, making sure Weiss was comfortable and warm, and Blake even allowed Angel to sleep at the foot of the bed, for the dog had been anxiously pacing around the bed.

Blake held Weiss against her, the white head tucked under her chin, and Yang had draped an arm over the both of them, and they heard the tiny sigh the smaller woman let out, content. She and Yang were so relieved to be in contact with their teammate again that it didn’t take long for them to fall asleep, lulled by Weiss’s deep and slow breathing.

In the middle of the night, however, Blake was woken up by Weiss, shifting and fidgeting, her breath coming out short and trembling, and she soon figured that the smaller woman was dreaming. Seeing the fidgeting soon morphed into jerky movements and the short breaths into pants as Weiss tuned her head from side to side, frantic, she figured that Weiss was having a nightmare. And she wasn’t the only one to figure it, too.

Angel was already making her way over, climbing on their forms with her tail wagging, and as if on cue, the smaller woman jerked awake, barely holding the scream that was on her lips as she stared at the ceiling, and the dog laid down over her, licking her chin and face as the dog’s large paws rested on her shoulders, holding her down efficiently.

Not seeming bothered by Angel’s weight on top of her, Weiss kept staring at the ceiling as she panted, swallowing thickly, and automatically brought a hand up to pet the dog’s head, gently playing with the ear standing.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked, keeping her voice hushed.

Blinking, Weiss took a moment to answer, continuously petting Angel’s head, before she brought both her hands up to cup the dog’s head, and leaned over to gently set a kiss between mismatched eyes, the dog’s tail wagging slightly faster.

“Yes,” was the smaller woman’s simple answer.

“Do you want to talk ab-”

“No. No, I don’t want to.”

Her mouth clacking shut, she only nodded, not pushing further than this, and she felt Weiss gesture something at Angel, the dog standing with one last lick before moving back to the foot of the bed, lying down with a sigh, and after wiping her face with the covers, Weiss snuggled closer to Blake, the faunus feeling her breath against her neck as she moved to be more comfortable.

“But thank you for asking,” Weiss added quietly, and she only kissed the top of her head in response.


	5. Chapter 5

It took a few weeks still for Weiss’s presence to be usual in the living room, and slowly, gradually, Weiss ate more, spent more time outside with Angel, and even if Yang would sometimes scold her for using her semblance like this when she should rest, she would summon her Boarbatusk to play with the dog.

But even if the blonde would scold her every time, Yang would always play with them, throwing sticks and snowballs for them to catch, and at some point, on Yang’s suggestion, Blake came back one day with a brand new braided rope of flashy colors, for Angel and the Boarbatusk to tug at it all they wanted.

But even if she was with them most of the time, Weiss rarely spoke, preferring to keep to herself as she would watch Blake and Yang move about the house, and for the moment they both didn’t mind if Weiss wasn’t doing her share of chores. Her main focus was to get better. But something seemed to always be on the smaller woman’s mind, as she kept them company silently.

One day, as they were all bundled up in the couch, Angel curled up at Weiss’s feet as a warm footboard, Blake was flicking through the movies they could watch, until she felt Weiss straighten her back, and clear her throat quietly. And as she looked back to the smaller woman, Weiss was fidgeting, her thumbnail sinking in the soft skin of her forefinger.

“I…” she started, earning both hers and Yang’s attention, before the smaller woman licked her lips quickly. “I owe you an apology.”

Blue eyes quickly flicked up to Blake before returning to Weiss’s lap, and the smaller woman shifted again, uncomfortable, and it made her feel a tingling of worry as she sat up, glancing quickly to Yang, their eyes meeting for a second. The blonde seemed as confused as her.

“To me? Or to both of us?” she asked, thinking fast about what she could have done to need to apologise, but nothing came to mind.

“Mostly you, but… to both of you, too.”

“About what?” this time Yang asked, furrowing her brows deeply.

Weiss shifted again before reaching to her skirt’s pocket, and pulled out a folded letter that she set on her lap, with simply the smaller woman’s name written on it in a smooth handwriting, but as she felt Yang perk up beside her, she thought that maybe the blonde knew what it was.

“Your mom’s letter,” Yang softly let out, recognition in her voice, and she looked back at her, furrowing her brows.

Her mother’s letter? When? How? Looking back at Weiss, she only saw the smaller woman nod silently as she kept her eyes on the letter, pinching her lips for a moment longer before unfolding it slowly, swallowing thickly.

“You know my mother is… _was_ ,” she corrected after a moment, licking her lips again. “An alcoholic.” She looked up at her, not really seeking for an answer as she was stating the fact, but she still nodded, encouraging her to continue. “In this letter, she told me all the excuses she had to not be there when I needed her to, when _we_ needed her to. But instead, she just… downed another bottle, and left us in whatever state of misery we were in.”

The smaller woman paused then, letting out a slow, deep breath as she tapped a few times on one corner of the letter, seemingly thinking about the next thing to say, until she shook her head, huffing bitterly with a small, joyless smile.

“Father was right. I truly am my mother’s daughter,” she quietly let out, lowering her head. “But it wasn’t alcohol with me, it was work. A workaholic, not there when you needed me. I even made you worry more. I made you row in circles until you were exhausted, and when you left, I just… Stayed there.”

She took the letter from her lap and angrily shook it in front of her, for Blake to see it better, she guessed.

“I kept it to remind me of the things I didn’t want to be,” she almost spitted, venom in her words as her blue eyes were fixated on the paper. “But I did exactly that, and I’m-”

The smaller woman stopped then, taking a deep breath to calm herself as she dropped the letter on her lap, running a hand in her hair.

“I’m… pissed at myself,” she resumed, her voice softer than before but still hard. “I was too ashamed of myself to even look at you, but then, I… I got sucked in my own pity. Sucked in my own pain, and I just wallowed in it, without any consideration for you. You- you even brought back Angel for me,” she huffed, rubbing her feet on the short fur of the dog, making Angel groan quietly. “And I know you didn’t want to. Even after you said you didn’t care, you still didn’t let go of me, and I was hurting you even more, and I’m…”

As she trailed off, Weiss brought a hand to her face, rubbing at her eyes tiredly, and instantly both Blake and Yang reached over, the blonde setting her left hand on the smaller woman’s back while she settled for grabbing her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze that only made Weiss laugh humorlessly.

“I just…” the smaller woman let out, leaning back in the couch and looking up at the ceiling for a moment, before lowering her gaze on them with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being… this ungrateful and narcissist jerk I never wanted to be.”

“Weiss-”

“I wasn’t there when you needed it,” Weiss insisted, throwing her hands in the air helplessly. “For both of you. And-”

“Weiss,” Blake interrupted again, this time in a firm tone as her hand clasped the smaller woman’s shoulder. “You had to cope with everything. It might not have been the best way, but it was how you wanted it to be. Yes, you made us worry, but… you’re family, Weiss. Whatever I say, I’ll always look out for you.”

Remaining silent for a few seconds, Weiss stared at her, before wearing a suspicious and doubtful expression, quickly glancing at Yang as she did.

“You’re… You’re not mad at me? For putting you through all of this?”

“What? No! Of course not!” she instantly assured, releasing the grip on Weiss’s shoulder as she did to better look at her. “In fact, I thought _you_ were mad at me. I… I did say some stuff that were a bit… rough, that day. Some things I shouldn’t have said.”

“Ah, communication,” Yang sighed, folding her arm under her head as her lilac eyes glanced back and forth between Blake and Weiss. “So much can be misinterpreted without it.”

“Well, I tried,” she quickly defended herself as she sent a sidelong glance to her wife. “I tried to establish communication, but you wouldn’t talk to me!”

Again, guilt spread over the smaller woman’s face as she lowered her head, hiding her expression as something dark danced in her blue eyes.

“I… wasn’t really in the mood to talk.”

“Weiss.”

Her voice was soft as she looked at her teammate, her friend, and she waited for the smaller woman to look up, willing to wait as long as it would take, until finally blue eyes locked with her gaze, and she sighed quietly, for a moment just taking in her expression, her features and how blue her eyes were. Weiss must have seen that she wasn’t about to fault her because her expression softened too, her hard edges waving and faltering to the Weiss she knew, the woman she loved like a sister, and she extended her hand in front of her, offering it to Weiss, palm up and waiting.

After a few seconds of hesitation, the smaller woman set her hand on hers, lightly, and she closed her fingers around the smaller hand, squeezing gently as Weiss swallowed, still holding her gaze and seemingly apprehensive of what was to come.

“Apology accepted,” Blake smiled then, her voice sweet. “But, you know. You just keep on getting better. I’m proud of the improvements you made, already.”

There was a slight twitch in the white eyebrows as the smaller woman looked down very briefly, and she still managed a short smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she figured it was at least that, as she squeezed the hand in hers again.

“And… We’ll figure it out, Weiss. One day at a time, and together. Alright?”

There was a long silence as Weiss stared at her again, before her blue eyes traveled to Yang, the blonde smiling reassuringly with a nod, and finally her gaze fell to their joined hands, and this time, she was the one to give a slight squeeze.

“Okay,” she breathed with a small nod. “I will… try to be more open, and keep getting better. For both of you.”

Smiling again, Blake leaned forward and gently bumped her head against Weiss’s, rubbing her cheek against the smaller woman’s temple as a low, quiet purr started rumbling in the depths of her chest, and she felt Yang move behind her, the blonde swiftly sitting on the other side of Weiss to be sandwiched between them as Yang tried to hold them both tightly. Weiss grunted in slight pain as she grimaced, but she smiled when Blake snuggled closer, curling up against Yang as she pulled the smaller woman in her arms, dropping a soft and protective kiss on top of the white head.

The blonde held them close against her as she leaned back in the couch, and she nuzzled white tresses for a moment, and the silence around them was filled with Blake’s soft purring.

“I don’t think you’re as bad as your mother, though,” Yang suddenly blurted out after a moment, the blonde’s eyes fixated on the letter still on Weiss’s lap. “Not that I’m saying bad things about her,” she added, looking up at the ceiling. “Sorry,” she let out quietly, grimacing slightly.

It only made Weiss sigh as she shifted in her arms, an annoyed expression taking place over her features.

“I did the exact same thing, Yang. So please, enlighten me,” the smaller woman grumbled, sarcasm clear in her voice with the last part.

“Simple,” Yang smiled then, looking down and angling her head so she could lock her eyes with hers. “You’re rowing back to the shore, instead of staying there doing nothing.”

The blonde gestured at them, huddling together on the couch, evidence of Weiss’s improvement of the past couple of weeks, and promising a better state of mind in the weeks to come. Munching on her lip for a moment, the smaller woman seemed to be mulling it over before returning her head under the blonde’s chin, shifting to be more comfortable as her eyes slid shut under the soft caress of Blake’s hand on her cheek.

“Good point,” was the only thing she let out.

 

****

 

The next weeks came and went in a blur as they all tried to stay busy, and Yang was the first to find something that could help her, in the form of a group therapy for veteran Hunters. It was once a week, and an hour and a half long, although the participant could leave whenever they pleased, and it was free. So, after a lot of thought and discussing it with Blake and Weiss, Yang went to try it out. But before she left, she pulled Weiss aside while Blake was upstairs, in the library.

“Yang, what’s going on?” Weiss asked, frowning in worry as the blonde kept glancing at the stairs leading to the second floor.

“Whatever you do, don’t leave Blake alone, okay?” Yang demanded in a hushed tone, locking her eyes with her to make sure she took her seriously. “What are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?”

“I… I don’t know, I mean…” the smaller woman mumbled, furrowing her brows deeply as she considered the blonde in front of her. “Probably go for a walk with Angel, but that’s about it.”

“Okay. If I’m not back by then, just bring Blake with you.”

“Wha-? You know she doesn’t want to even _be_ in the same vicinity as Angel, why on Remnant would she say yes to come take a walk with me?”

“Weiss. Don’t leave Blake alone.”

The firm tone of Yang made her pause, and when she looked attentively at the blonde, she could see traces of worry in her eyes, and it didn’t take her longer than that to understand.

“What happened?” the smaller woman asked, her voice kept low and quiet.

It made Yang sigh as she glanced to the stairs again, but she shook her head slightly, returning her attention on Weiss.

“She just… doesn’t like when she’s left alone. I trust you with her.”

The pointed look the blonde was regarding her with made her instantly perk up, her back straightening as she nodded decidedly, taking the job with as much seriousness as if it was the General himself that gave it to her. It made Yang smile with a huff to see Weiss so serious, but she was glad she didn’t push more into the matter, and instead pulled her into her arms in a quick, tight hug, before pressing a kiss to the smaller woman’s temple.

“Okay,” the blonde finally sighed as she pulled away, and only now there was a slight show of nervousness as Yang wetted her lips. “I have to go or else I’ll be late.”

“Go on, then,” Weiss stepped to the side, squeezing her arm lightly. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

It made the blonde smile as she winked, and after one last glance to the staircase, Yang left, having already said goodbye to her wife, and after the blonde closed the door behind her, Weiss looked down at Angel, who was standing at her side and looking up at her with her mismatched eyes and waiting, attentive.

Hearing something fall on the floor, upstairs, it made Weiss raise her eyebrows as she made her way to the second floor, Angel in tow, and she went straight to the library, where Blake had started to store her books in the shelves as they were still packed in boxes, and she stepped in the large room to quite an unusual sight. Blake was staring hardly at her scroll, her ears flat on her scalp as the device was on the floor, the faunus’s expression one of… anger, or even rage as Blake kept curling her hands into tight fists, and she was so distracted that she hadn’t heard her coming.

“Blake?” she called quietly, glancing at the scroll briefly as she stopped in the doorway. “What’s going on?”

The faunus slightly jumped at the call of her name, suddenly realising that she wasn’t alone, and before Weiss could move or say anything further, she bolted forward to pick up her scroll, toying with it a moment as Blake visibly tried to smile reassuringly.

She had to wonder if Blake realised that her ears would always betray her.

“It’s nothing,” the faunus grimaced slightly, tapping the device in her palm a few times. “Just… a bad joke.”

Nodding to herself, she took a deep breath before pocketing her scroll, but the fidgety, jerky movements of her hands were enough of a tell that it wasn’t ‘nothing’. As did her still flattened ears. So as Blake moved to a nearby box still filled with books, she stepped in front of her, furrowing her brows as she tried to meet her eyes. She only wanted to insist a bit, but she wasn’t really in the right set of mind to really force the faunus to tell her anything.

“What bad joke? From whom?”

There was no force in her voice, and yet it made Blake hesitate as she looked down, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands curled into fists at her sides as she shifted her weight from leg to leg, visibly debating to herself if she should tell Weiss until she seemingly took her decision, and glanced up quickly at her.

“Cardin,” was the only thing the faunus muttered, a scowl forming on her face just at the remembrance of what he did.

“Winchester?” she asked, arching a single eyebrow as she leaned against the table at her side. “What did he do?”

“Well, he messaged me only to tell me that he believed Ruby isn’t a hero at all, like everyone else likes to paint her, but a deserter, because he believes she just left.”

The name alone made her wince, and she had to focus to hear the rest of the sentence as Angel’s wet snout met her hand, the dog pushing its head against her hand as she could feel the warm presence of Angel leaning against her leg.

They had come to an unspoken agreement between the three of them, and it was to not talk about Ruby, except if there were news about her. Or, for the time being, the _absence_ of news about her. But there were some times where this agreement couldn’t stay in place, like right now.

“You know that’s not true, Blake,” Weiss managed as she looked up at her teammate, petting Angel’s head, caressing the ear standing between her fingers. It always worked to calm her nerves. “Some naysayer shouldn’t just set you off enough for you to… throw your scroll across the room.”

The faunus huffed with a sarcastic nod, grimacing as she tilted her head to the side, avoiding her eyes for a second.

“It’s… the wording he used. You know how he always liked to pick on us. I guess a few years older and a war hasn’t changed him at all.”

“Did he say things at you? At… her?”

A strange calmness settled over her as she stared at Blake, waiting for the faunus to answer, and she must have seen her expression change because she lifted a peaceful hand in front of her, and she could see that Blake regretted telling her, now.

“You know he would use every reason to take a few at me, or at anyone. He has always been a jerk, so-”

“What did he say about you? About Ruby?”

“Weiss-”

“What did he say?”

She could feel anger building up, its warm, familiar feeling creeping up inside her and coiling in her stomach as she kept her attention drilled on Blake, making the faunus look even more nervous as time went on.

“Weiss, you know the guy. I’m pretty sure he yells at his own mother, okay, I know I shouldn’t have reacted that way but-”

“But he dare call Ruby a _deserter_ ,” she grounded through her gritted teeth, the flames of anger licking every inches of her core as her hands curled into fists, but she still had a mind to not crush Angel’s ear in her hand. “What does he know? He wasn’t even-”

Her anger suddenly faded away as quickly as it came as a thought struck her, and she looked to the side, making Blake blink in surprise.

“He… wasn’t even there…”

“… What?”

“Remember; the rollcall,” Weiss said, furrowing her brows. “Team CRDL wasn’t there.”

It made Blake blink again, before the faunus huffed, tilting her head slightly to the side.

“Look, Weiss, I mean there were a _lot_ of teams there-”

“You don’t seem to understand that I remember every team names, because I hear them every single night, in my nightmares,” Weiss harshly let out, instantly regretting her tone when she saw Blake wince, and she closed her eyes for a second, forcing her hands to uncurl, the back of her fingers meeting the soft and warm fur of Angel. “Anyway, I-I remember every team that were on site, because of the rollcall. And I know CRDL wasn’t there.”

“So… Where were they?”

The faunus seemed willing, if half-heartedly, to humor her sudden train of thought, but she was still glad for the push as she pushed herself from the table, nodding to herself as she already knew what she would be doing, and she locked her eyes with Blake, feeling a deadly precision in the next step she would take.

“Give me an hour. I’ll know.”

 

****

 

Exactly an hour after, Blake stood outside of Weiss’s office, shifting a bit in place as she could hear the tapping on keyboard and paper rustling inside, wondering if she should have stopped her. The last thing she wanted was for Weiss to get back into that unhealthy habit of a workaholic, but she shook her head, letting out a long breath. Finally, she knocked on the door.

“Come in!” was the instant answer, and she couldn’t even believe how relieved she felt by this simple invitation.

As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by a very satisfied-looking Weiss as the smaller woman sat back in her chair, smiling at her as she gestured to a chair in front of her desk, and Blake had to step over Angel that was laying on the floor in the middle of the room, munching on some toy.

“I figure you found something?” she mused as she took place in the padded chair.

It was very comfortable, she found out as she shifted in it, for a moment distracted, but her attention was brought back to Weiss when the smaller woman snorted, rolling her eyes as if the last hour cooped up in her office was no big deal.

“I did,” the smaller woman let out as she gestured to the closed file sitting in front of her on the desk. “And honestly, I really shouldn’t be surprised by what I found.”

When she stopped there, looking up smugly at Blake and visibly waiting for her to say something, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but curiosity got the better of her.

“And what is it? Stop keeping me in the dark and spill.”

“My pleasure,” Weiss said smoothly with an elegant bow of her head as she opened the file, as smooth as her voice, and she flipped it the other way for Blake to see the pictures on the first page. “Do you see the resemblance?”

One slender finger pointed at who Blake could tell was Cardin, to another man the Huntsman was standing close to, and she couldn’t help but frown when Weiss pushed the pictures aside only to reveal more, and also a page filled with… what looked like locations of a scroll. There were pages and pages of that.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked up to Weiss, seeing the smaller woman biting her lip to contain her excitement at what Blake guessed was a sweet revenge, but she still couldn’t connect the dots, so she resigned herself to ask to be enlighten.

“I don’t think I understand?”

“You see,” Weiss was quick to lean over again, tilting her head slightly to see better, and pointed at the first few registered locations. “This was a few days before the war started. He was somewhere in Mistral’s jungles. Then the day the war started,” her finger moved a bit down, the same location still there. “And whoops! He moves! Which isn’t really a surprise, every Hunters were mobilised to try and contain the first attack but, he went… there.”

The smaller woman straightened her back before turning the screen of her computer towards Blake, and she could see the aerial photo of what looked like a rather large building in the middle of a city, it seemed.

“Do you know what you’re looking at?” Weiss asked, her, too, contemplating the picture as she crossed her leg over her knee.

“No idea.”

“You are looking at the Winchester estate, in the center of Vytal.”

She looked back at Weiss, incredulous.

“He went back home? When we needed all the available fighters? He shouldn’t even have been able to do that in the first place!”

“Did you know that the Winchester name is a rather big one amidst the police force and the military in Vytal?” Weiss informed, looking back pleasingly.

It only made her glance down at the file, sceptical.

“I don’t think they would have let you take all these info if it really were.”

“Well, Winchester might be big in Vale, but the Schnee one is bigger. And worldwide,” she added with a dainty huff, looking back at the screen.

It made Blake shook her head with a snort as she looked back down at the file, glancing at the pictures and the locations with a short sigh.

“So he went home to hide behind Daddy’s shadow, right?” she resumed, returning her attention on Weiss.

“On Cardin’s request,” Weiss added, leaning over to tap the screen and opening another tab, showing what looked like a letter, and Blake soon found out that it was the written version of what looked like a scroll call. “Then his father patented what seemed to be an official request to have a team of Hunters as his personal guard.”

At her incredulous stare, Weiss barely shrugged one shoulder.

“Everything is archived somewhere. Even calls. So I hope you never said something dirty to Yang over your scroll, because it can be found again.”

Giving her a rather exasperated glare, she rolled her eyes, but Weiss pushed aside a few papers in the file to show her something, pointing at this and that through the many pages.

“He stayed there all through the war,” she informed her. “Even if his father didn’t need the extra security. Vytal’s walls were the most fortified of every other city in Vale, and I’m not talking about the military force present twenty four hours/seven at that time. It would have taken a really bad miracle for the Grimm to get through, and even so, this single team wouldn’t have been able to contain the breach.”

Then, suddenly, all the smugness Weiss had been showing earlier disappeared, only to left her with a dark look in her blue eyes as her lips twisted in an ugly smirk as Weiss’s eyes were fixated on the face of Cardin, in one of the pictures of the file.

“ _He_ was the one who deserted, like the coward he is,” she growled, her voice strangely low. “I have all the proof right here. When we needed all fighters available, while we were getting slaughtered, he was spending his days sitting on his hands, and I’m _fairly_ sure he doesn’t regret it one bit. And he _dare_ call Ruby a deserter.”

Blake stared at Weiss for a long moment as the smaller woman was twitching in barely contained fury, the amount of venom in her voice as she said the last part making her pause.

She knew Weiss had always been protective of Ruby. She had seen it many times, and Ruby had been equally protective of Weiss. But the fact that Weiss went to such length to defend Ruby’s name was… Well, Weiss had said it herself. Cardin was only a naysayer, and they both knew Ruby was everything _but_ a deserter.

“Weiss,” she said softly, and it took a moment before the smaller woman looked up at her, her eyes still fiery with anger. “This is… This is barely legal, I mean…”

“Oh, it’s not,” the smaller woman assured coldly, weirdly satisfied by it. “But nobody will have to guts to arrest me for it. I have the proof that the police force of Vytal helped a deserter.”

She only closed her mouth in a clack at that, and she had little choice but to agree with her, but even if she hadn’t said anything more, Weiss seemed to understand as she sat back in her chair with a long, drawn out sigh, her eyes lingering on the file for a moment more before she reached over to close it silently, her expression darkening. But not about to let her think her work was for naught, Blake quickly reached a hand over the file to grab hers, squeezing once.

“That’s really good work, though,” she smiled, and she could see the corners of Weiss’s lips curl up, the praise not falling into deaf ears. “I actually never imagined you’d have this much info about this in only an hour. I’m impressed.”

The smaller woman lowered her gaze then, a soft tint of pink coloring her cheeks at her words as she shifted a bit, but she gave another squeeze to the smaller hand in hers, making Weiss look up again.

“And… if Cardin ever tries it again, then…” she gestures at the file on the desk, patting it a few times. “I have everything to blackmail him, right?”

That felt more satisfying as Weiss’s smile crooked, and she turned her head to look outside, and she followed her gaze, seeing the big, fat snowflake falling slowly and covering the edges of the window, piling up slowly, and she sighed as she sat back in the padded chair, keeping Weiss’s hand in hers.

“Hey,” she called, and Weiss looked back at her, attentive. “You worked really hard on this. You deserve a reward.”

It made the smaller woman frown with a huff.

“A reward?” she repeated, unsure.

“Yeah,” Blake answered easily with a one-shoulder shrug. “Let me pamper you. Make you some hot cocoa and… paint your nails, or something.”

Weiss’s eyebrows shot up high on her forehead as she considered her for a long time, but the smaller woman’s grip on her hand had tightened. Still, Weiss hunched slightly forward, an apprehensive look on her face.

“Are you sure? I mean… you don’t like this sort of things.”

“It’s fine,” she waved her words aside, happy that Weiss was considering her feelings. “You really did a great job, Weiss. And I know _you_ like this sort of things. So let me do this for you.”

Still a bit unsure, Weiss’s eyes lowered for a second, before going back up.

“What about Yang? That’s definitely more her thing.”

“She’d join in when she gets back. And she could tell us about how it went with the group therapy as she does.”

Finally nodding, Weiss smiled, squeezing her hand.

“Okay,” she let out in a breath.

 

****

 

When Yang came back, the blonde sighed deeply as she stepped out of her boots after making sure the snow had fallen from it, and Blake looked up from the back of the couch to smile at her.

“Hi,” she greeted her, making Yang look up towards them.

“Hey,” the blonde said back, visibly curious as she could see the top of Weiss’s head half hidden as the smaller woman was hunched over.

“How was therapy?”

Shrugging with a noncommittal grunt, Yang hung her coat on the rack beside the door before making her way over, dragging her feet a bit as she did.

“I, uh, mostly listened and observed,” Yang answered as she leaned over to set a soft kiss between her ears when she was close enough, making Blake hum quietly. “I wasn’t sure I was ready to share more than a couple of jokes and bad puns.”

As she straightened her back, the blonde seemed to take in what they were doing as Weiss was sitting cross legged in front of Blake, focused on the faunus’s hand as she applied very carefully a layer of paint on Blake’s fingernails.

“Black,” Yang huffed. “I should have known. I didn’t know you’d be willing to paint your nails, though,” she added, looking back at her wife.

She only shrugged, returning her attention on Weiss as the paint felt a bit cool against her nail, angling her head to look at what the smaller woman was doing.

“Well, Weiss is good at it. Look at this,” she said, showing off her right hand as it was already done.

It made the blonde hum appreciatively, taking her wife’s hand to kiss it gently, before Yang turned her eyes to Weiss, furrowing her eyebrows a bit.

“So, what have you been up to while I was gone?”

“Oh you know, the usual,” Weiss was the one to answer this time, her voice low as she was focused on her job. “Drinking cocoa, painting our nails.” And, after straightening her back to admire her handiwork, she added; “Talking about boys.”

It made Blake snort as a smile graced the smaller woman’s lips before she leaned over again to tweak at her work, and Yang only glanced at both of them back and forth, waiting for an explanation that never came.

“Okay,” the blonde let out slowly, unsure, but her questions seemed to vanish as soon as her eyes fell on a yellow-gold bottle of paint, and she gasped loudly, reaching over to take it.

“No wait! I want to do your nails too,” Weiss stopped her, looking up from Blake’s hand as she was finished, capping the bottle and returning it to the table.

“Really? I honestly didn’t think you’d like this. I’ve never seen you with your nails painted, before.”

The smaller woman shrugged briefly as she patted the spot next to her on the couch for the blonde to sit, already taking the bottle Yang had spotted and working the cap.

“I always liked doing Winter’s nails, when I was a child,” Weiss answered as she turned to face Yang, feeling Blake press against her back and set her chin on her shoulder to look at what she was doing. “Obviously, it was a long time ago, but… I don’t know. I like it.”

Pausing for a second, the smaller woman looked back to where Angel was curled up on her large cushion, the dog straightening its head as it waited for a command.

“Maybe I could paint Angel’s claws, too,” Weiss smiled at the dog, making the tail start wagging a bit. “Pink?”

Lowering her eyes to the set of bottled paint they had, she pointed briefly at one of the blue ones, the one Blake had told Weiss was almost the same color as her eyes, until Weiss’s gaze went to the side, and fell on another color, her hand lowering slowly.

“Or… red,” the smaller woman softly and quietly let out, her eyes fixated on the bottle. “Red like roses.”

As a silence fell in the room, both Blake and Yang glancing at each other, Angel only set her head down again, letting out a deep, long sigh.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update! :D

Slowly, Blake and Yang only allowing a few hours a day, Weiss started working again, sorting through all of the files and reports the smaller woman’s father had sent her ever since she came back from the war, but Weiss was still avoiding his calls. Blake knew that Weiss was still wondering if she should call Winter and Whitley back, for the both of them had stopped trying to reach her when they realised she never answered them.

She was sure that they weren’t really giving up on Weiss. She knew Winter never would. The older sister was in the best position to know what combats could do to someone. But, as she looked over at Weiss as the smaller woman was sipping at her coffee in the kitchen, about to go in her office, closing her eyes in bliss when the warm liquid hit her tongue, she wondered about Whitley, and the fragile bond they had tried to establish before the war.

She didn’t know enough about Weiss’s younger brother to make an assumption.

She smiled when her eyes met Weiss’s blue ones, the smaller woman responding with one of her own, and she couldn’t help the relief she felt washing over her as she looked over her teammate. Weiss already looked so much better. She had gained a few pounds, her skin had a healthier tone and the eye bags under her eyes were mostly gone, and she would go on a walk every day with Angel, sometimes accompanied by both her and Yang and sometimes alone.

And now that she was working, now that Weiss was doing something, Blake could tell it made her feel better as she always walked out of her office with a sigh and a light headache, but satisfied that she had had some work done.

Weiss was only happy when she was productive, she remembered with a huff.

Yang was doing better, too, as she had warmed up to the group therapy she was going to once a week, and she would come back from her sessions with a smile on her lips now, and it took her by surprise when, one day and out of the blue, Yang kissed her on the lips.

Not that it was really that strange, they were married after all, but they just had never kissed, or made love for that matter, since they came back home, and…

It felt good. Familiar, and soft. Like coming home.

She closed her eyes when she felt Yang’s left hand coming up to cup her cheek as her prosthetic had lightly took hold of her chin, before trailing down to rest on her hip, and she couldn’t help but hum when she felt the blonde press slightly closer as the kiss deepened, feeling a familiar warmth spark to life in her stomach when she felt Yang gently backing her against the kitchen island.

Snaking her arms up and around her wife’s neck, she smiled in the kiss, before chuckling at the strange feeling of déja-vue, and it made Yang pull away slightly, questioning silently.

“We’re in _our_ kitchen, now,” she whispered against the blonde’s lips, locking her eyes with hers. “My mother can’t walk in on us.”

Recognition flashed in Yang’s expression before the blonde chuckled too, her left hand trailing down her side to rest on her hip, too.

“Mm,” her wife hummed against her lips as she leaned over again. “Brought back some memories. How about we… resume?”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Chuckling against her lips, Yang’s hands slid over her rear to settle right under it, and she barely had to press that Blake had already jumped and wrapped her legs around the blonde’s waist as they kept kissing, Yang reaching over blindly to find the counter and sat her on it.

Seemingly remembering the large window of the kitchen, the blonde pulled away from the kiss and mumbled something about the curtains, but she locked her ankles tightly around her wife’s waist, keeping her there. Blake wasn’t about to let go anytime soon, and she was already wrapping her arms around Yang’s neck, pulling her closer.

“Let the neighbours stare,” she quickly said, her voice hushed as she locked her eyes with her wife’s beautiful lilacs.

It made a single eyebrow arch as Yang quickly glanced at the window again, and they both knew that the only neighbours that could see was the house right in front of theirs, and it barely looked lived in, as they weren’t even sure _if_ it was lived in. So the blonde returned her attention to her, much to Blake’s satisfaction.

Yang’s lips on her neck felt divine as the blonde trailed kisses down of it, worshiping every inches she kissed, and Yang’s hands were already pulling her shirt up, pulling away just to pass the shirt over Blake’s head before her lips returned on her skin, and she didn’t even cared where Yang threw her shirt.

She closed her eyes with a soft gasp when she felt the blonde nipping at her collarbone, Yang’s warm left hand traveling across her front and back as she could feel the cold touch of her prosthetic over the fabric of her bra, teasing, before the soothing warmth of her left hand took its place, gently squeezing her breast.

“Oh, good Lord,” a voice suddenly muttered, and it made her open her eyes suddenly, jolting in Yang’s arms.

She saw the flash of a white skirt flapping back in the hallway, and it made her blink for a second, before there was a loud stomping, and as Yang looked back, too, they could see Weiss making her way slowly, making sure to stomp her foot as loudly as she could.

“Am I making enough noise to catch your attention, now?” the smaller woman grumbled, her cheeks a bit red.

Yang instantly straightened her back with a sheepish laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck, and before looking over at Weiss, the blonde narrowed her eyes at her.

She had been too distracted to hear someone coming. Again.

“Hey, Weiss,” the blonde greeted nervously. “I, uh, I thought you were in your office.”

“I was, as you well know, but I ran out of coffee. And the machine is… there.”

Clearing her throat, Weiss walked with all the grace and elegance of a Queen in a royal court as she made her way to the counter, and stood right beside them as she filled her mug with coffee as the machine was right beside them. Adding insult to the injury, Weiss glanced up at Blake shortly as she set her mug on the counter.

“Oh, I love your bra,” the smaller woman commented, her voice even.

Biting her lip for a second as she felt a blush burning her cheeks, she nodded, grimacing a bit.

“Thanks,” she let out quietly.

It made Weiss smirk as she sipped from her cup, and she turned on her heels to go back to her office, but before she was too far away she paused, turning back and took the caterer with her as the amount of two other coffee was left in it, and only then did she leave Blake and Yang alone, Angel following Weiss discreetly.

When the footsteps were far in the hallway, Yang looked back at her, her eyes narrowed, and almost as if on cue, they heard Weiss say something from the depths of the hallway.

“Have fun!”

And then the door of her office closing.

A silence fell on them as Blake bit her lip again, smiling sheepishly at her wife as Yang sighed, shaking her head slightly.

“You’re basically a ninja, Blake. I can’t believe you let people sneak up on us. Twice!”

“I can’t help it when you’re so good at what you’re doing!”

Considering her for a second, the blonde started laughing quietly before leaning over, hiding her face in her neck as she looped her strong arms around Blake in a loose hug, and she petted Yang’s head as she couldn’t hold back her chuckle, nuzzling her wife’s head.

“I feel like we’re teenagers again,” the blonde murmured against her skin, her breath hot against her neck.

“We weren’t that young,” she reminded softly, right in her ear.

“I know, but… you know what I mean, right? It was… simpler times. Before everything went to shit.”

“You mean before or after our wedding?”

It made Yang snort as she smiled, combing her fingers through blonde tresses, massaging her scalp as she did. Another silence fell on them as they embraced each other, but it was comfortable, this time, and they only enjoyed the moment.

“Blake?”

“Mm?”

“I love you.”

Slightly surprised, she raised her eyebrows, but nonetheless, she pressed a kiss to the blonde’s temple, nuzzling there for a moment.

“I love you too.”

“I just… It felt like a long time since I last said this to you. I wanted to tell you, so you don’t forget it.”

“We’re not that old, either,” she remarked, amused, but she pulled away just enough to show her wife her left hand, wiggling her fingers until her lilac eyes caught the ring at the base of her finger. “Besides, I have this to remind me.”

Yang stared at it for a moment before reaching over and gently taking her hand in her left, her thumb gently running over her knuckles as she let out a quiet sigh, and the blonde leaned over again to kiss her ring finger’s knuckle, just above the ring that sat there, letting the kiss linger there as Yang closed her eyes.

She looked at the scene fondly, feeling her heart melting in her chest as she leaned over to bump her nose against the blonde’s forehead, making her look up, and she took her lips gently, using her right hand to cup Yang’s cheek as her left was still trapped in hers.

She didn’t realise she was crying until she felt one rough thumb wiping her tears gently, Yang murmuring soft words against her lips and face as she tried to catch all of them, but it wasn’t because she was sad, or confused. She was just… relieved. Suddenly realising that they were here, right now, still together after everything when so many things went wrong.

After everything went to shit.

 

****

 

Slowly, gradually, winter gave way to spring as the snow melted and transformed the streets into a slushy mess that made your shoes and boots soaked through right after going out, but still, with it came a warmer breeze, longer days and burgeons were blooming in the nearby trees. It was on one of such days that Blake was comfortably curled in one of the padded chairs outside on the porch of the backyard, basking in the rays of the sun, a warm jacket on her shoulders and a good book in her hands, and the glass-door sliding open made her look up from her book.

“Hey,” she smiled gently at Weiss as the smaller woman waited for Angel to trot out of the house before closing the door.

“Hi,” the smaller woman smiled shortly, setting a file on the table nearby before climbing down the few steps of the porch as Angel watched carefully, her ears perked up and attentive.

With a quick flick of her wrist, a glyph appeared on the ground as the dog’s tail started wagging quickly, Angel’s mismatched eyes glancing back and forth between the glyph and Weiss. Soon, a Boarbatusk appeared as it shook its head, its short tail wagging happily when Weiss petted its head for a moment, before she spotted a flashy ball on the ground, and taking it between two fingers with a slight grimace of disgust as it was wet and muddy, she threw it still, and both the dog and the Boarbatusk ran to fetch it.

As she huffed, shaking her head slightly, she saw Weiss look at them as they started running after each other, Angel’s longer legs quickly catching up on the beast but the dog was only happy to run around, and would do so with her tongue flopping out of her mouth as she followed the ghostly Grimm. Giving a short, satisfied nod at the two playing together, the smaller woman made her way back on the porch and flopped in the padded chair next to her, sighing as she did.

“I should start taking Angel to the dog park,” Weiss said quietly, her eyes following her dog. “She needs friends. Sometimes, I feel bad that she’s always sticking with me.”

Letting out a noncommittal hum, she returned her attention on the dog and Grimm, finding Angel lying flat on her forelegs as her tail was wagging, staring at the Boarbatusk as the beast munched at the ball. And after a moment of stillness, the Grimm dashed to the side, Angel quickly following with a happy bark.

As she looked back at Weiss, she noticed the file on the table, and furrowed her brows, wondering why Weiss was bringing pieces of work outside of her office, and with a tilt of her chin to it, she let curiosity get the better of her.

“What’s this?”

The smaller woman glanced down at the file for a second, letting out a breath as she tapped her forefinger against her thumb a few times.

“A side project,” Weiss finally said, looking up at her. “That I finished earlier. I wanted to show you and Yang, but… Since she’s at her therapy, I figured I would show it to her later.”

Hesitating a moment more, the smaller woman finally took the file and extended it to her, making her chair creak slightly as she did, and seeing how Weiss was careful with this only picked her curiosity as she leaned over and quickly took the file from her hands. And as her eyes fell on the label written on the side, she paused, finally understanding why Weiss had been hesitant.

“Roy O’Malley,” Blake read out loud, slowly rising her eyes to Weiss. “Lucky.”

“After what happened with Cardin, I figured I was good at finding things, so…” the smaller woman paused, wetting her lips as she shifted in her seat, her eyes fixated on the file in her hands. “I thought that maybe… I could dig around a bit. Find out more on Lucky, and what happened to him.”

“It’s thick,” she commented as she opened the file without reading anything, paging quickly through it.

“Well, I was quite thorough,” Weiss smiled a bit sadly as a shadow passed in her pale eyes. “I tried to get as much info as I could. There’s all his life in this one file.”

Closing the file silently, she kept her eyes on Weiss as a silence settled over them, and it took a moment for the smaller woman to look up and lock her eyes with her.

“Why?”

She kept her voice quiet, but she couldn’t help but wonder. Why reopen a wound like this, triggering memories that she knew Weiss tried to forget altogether, memories that usually came with her nightmares.

The question only made the smaller woman sigh as she considered her for a moment, her eyes returning to the file, to the content that spoke of a man she once knew.

“I guess… I wanted to understand him better,” she finally answered, her voice quiet and soft.

“Did it?”

A slight shrug answered her.

“It only made me wonder why people called him ‘Lucky’. From what I read, he’s only lucky to be ali-”

Interrupting herself abruptly, Weiss grimaced as she sat back in her seat, bringing a hand to her face to rub tired fingers against her temple as she closed her eyes with a sigh.

“He was only lucky to… have lived this long,” she said instead. “But it must have been because of his semblance, though.”

The sudden fidgeting of her other hand, still in Weiss’s lap, made her look down at it as she noticed that the smaller woman kept sinking her thumb nail in the soft skin of her forefinger, repeatedly, and she could see the red crescent mark on the side of her finger.

For a second she wondered what could explain this behavior, as she remembered Weiss do this a lot of times through the years. Was it only nervousness? Or was she punishing herself?

But she still leaned over and gently slid her fingers between hers, making the frantic antic stop as the smaller woman opened her eyes, giving a smile that looked more like a grimace in return.

“Sorry,” Weiss breathed, lowering her eyes to their hands. “I have been gathering info for this file for the past month in between working on Father’s reports, and I guess my brain is a bit mashed by now.”

Squeezing the hand in hers shortly, she moved her chair closer to Weiss’s before dropping her book on the table, and as she settled on her chair, she moved to lean her head on Weiss’s shoulder, shifting to be comfortable, and she kept her hand in hers as she opened the file, taking a breath as she did.

As she felt the smaller woman lean her cheek on top of her head, carefully minding her ears, she started reading, taking in the information.

Roy O’Malley was born in northern Vale, before moving when he was only a couple of years old to Vacuo, where he spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years. With almost perfect grades, he decided to go to Beacon to follow the Hunters training, and she figured it was where he had met Qrow and Ozpin. As there were pictures of his team, CLVR, she gulped at the sight of a younger Lucky as he must have been freshly seventeen, smiling proudly besides the rest of his new teammates, and she huffed when she recognised the brand new hat sitting on his head.

The team made its way all through the four years without a hitch, and after graduating the team decided to stay together as she could see the number of missions they took, a single eyebrow arching at that. Through the papers, she found other pictures, but these were a bit more artistic as a few showed Lucky alone, focused on something off-screen as he wore a serious expression, another one was of him with his back turned as he seemingly stared at something beyond the cliff, his hands resting on the stock of his guns, relaxed.

Blake soon figured it must have been pictures someone took of him. The woman Lucky had talked about, a few times. She remembered she was the leader of the team, but… what was her name again?

With a short sigh of irritation, she flipped to another picture, and it instantly came back to her as it was a selfie of a woman, the only woman of the team she realised, with one eye closed as Lucky was kissing her cheek with a smile, and the name of the woman was the color of the eye that looked right at the camera.

Cyan. That was her name. Lucky’s girlfriend, she figured.

Briefly wondering where on Remnant Weiss had found these pictures, she finished with them before returning to paging through the papers, until she felt her heart sink, even if she had figured it out a long time ago.

A mission report. And, on three of the four names of the team, was the red stamp of members KIA, Lucky being the only survivor. As she read the rest of the report, she felt her throat tightening.

This mission was in an abandoned mine that some company had just bought, and needed a team of Hunters to clean it out of Grimm so they could dig again, but it was old, and apparently unstable. As the team had been fighting with Grimm, a cave in occurred, and Lucky had been the only one to have made it out.

As she thought back of Lucky’s semblance and reading the report, she figured it must have been a bit like Qrow’s. He could use it when he wanted to, but when he was in danger, it must have activated without him knowing.

A party was dispatched at the mine to dig in, maybe the Hunters had survived the cave in, but when they only found the weapons of the three other member of the team, it was a clear sign that they all died in the mine.

After that, it seemed that Lucky disappeared for a few years as there was a report of a Huntsman gone AWOL, then the next appearance on the paper was five years later, and it was when he started seeing a psychiatrist, and she recognised the name as the same on Ruby’s card. She made a side note in her mind to take the coordinate of this psychiatrist for a later use.

He was under her care for a while, before he made a trip to Vacuo, where he stayed a few years. Amidst the reports of missions he took there, there was the mention that he bought a horse, and she smiled softly, remembering what Lucky had said about his horse.

_A pearl in the desert._

Then, he seemed to migrate back in Vale as the solo missions were piling up, and only taking far away ones it seemed. She could see the years roll, and it was almost two decades after that that Salem’s war started. Being thrown at this place and that, Blake could only sympathise, remembering how frantic her memories of the first few months after the war started were.

And then… He was teamed up with them. There was even a side note, signed by Ozpin himself, ordering the Huntsman to stay with the younger team.

There was a painful pinch on her heart when she read the name of her team. RWBY. Seeing the ‘R’ created a dull ache in her chest, and she had to look up for a moment for it to pass before she could read again.

The rest, she already knew, for she was there, but she still paged through it, faintly reliving the events, until she came upon the last page of the file.

The last mission report. Five names written there, black on white.

Red stamps clashing with the monochrome of the page.

KIA for Lucky. Heavily injured for Yang, and… she realised there were two stamps on Ruby’s name. First MIA, the other, a bit on the side and sideways, KIA.

Her breath left her lips as she stared at the stamp, the color suddenly seeming the same shade as blood.

“What…” she barely made a noise, but Weiss apparently was waiting for a reaction like this as she instantly turned to look at the file on her lap.

“The second stamp is recent,” the smaller woman informed, her voice as cold as ice. Clearly, she wasn’t agreeing to this, too. “I sent a very nice, very long letter to Ozpin about it.”

“But he can’t do this,” she breathed, turning her head to look at Weiss. “We… We’re still not sure if she’s really-”

“I know,” the smaller woman interrupted, her tone a bit harder than she meant as she pinched her lips for a moment, swallowing. “I know,” she repeated, this time a loft softer than before.

But as Weiss stared at the page, at the bright stamps, a strange expression passed over her features as she let out a slow breath, sitting back in her seat and finally tearing her eyes from the file to look at Angel. As her expression grew thoughtful, Blake straightened her back as she closed the file, sitting it on the table and turning towards Weiss, observing her attentively.

“What are you thinking about?”

The smaller woman pinched her lips again, staying silent for a long moment and never turning her gaze towards her, but still lowered her eyes a bit as she wetted her lips.

“It’s just… And I’m not saying this because I gave up, because I’m not. I’m just making it clear. But… it’s been six months and we still don’t have a single clue about her. I know she will be back someday. I just know it.”

Taking in a sharp breath, Weiss blinked as her hand twitched slightly in Blake’s, her thumbnail grazing against her finger’s skin.

“But we can’t wait for her forever,” she continued, her voice a lot quieter than before, thinner, somehow. “What if… what if she never comes back? What if we never find her? As I said, I’m not giving up. But I can’t help but think of other possibilities, too.”

As the smaller woman fell silent, she could feel her thumb move, trying to find her own finger to scratch, and so Blake gently grasped her thumb, securing it, and by doing so made blue eyes flicker down at their hands.

“So,” Weiss let out, clearing her voice and making it clear she was changing subject. “What do you think of my side project?”

Deciding to let the matter go for now, she shifted a bit as she returned her eyes to the closed file on the table, and she sighed a little, trying to find the right words.

“It’s… very thorough.”

“Told you,” Weiss smiled a little, one corner of her lips pulling up.

“I’m glad you did this,” she squeezed the hand in hers with a small smile, and only now did it made the smaller woman look back at her. “But there’s one thing this file doesn’t say.”

White, delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as Weiss’s blue eyes flicked back to the file, her expression changing swiftly, but she squeezed her hand again to reassure her as pale eyes returned to her.

“He did live a lonely life after his team died, but I know he was happy with us. He found people to care about again. In the end, he was happy.”

Holding her gaze for a moment, Weiss stayed silent and only nodded, her eyes suddenly more watery than they were earlier as the smaller woman looked away, returning her gaze to her dog as her expression closed in an unreadable mask, her features sharp. But in her hand, Weiss’s hand moved, and her thumb gently ran over her hand as she didn’t pull away.

 

****

 

Yang had a rather mild reaction about the file in general, saying something similar as Blake, and when the blonde saw the stamps at the end, she surprisingly didn’t say anything, only closing the file in a sharp clack, before standing and walking to the shelf where they had stored Lucky’s weapons, and slid the file under it.

But the blonde was strangely silent for a long while, after this.

But for the rest of the day, Yang was almost glued to Weiss’s side, and when she got out of the shower that night, she found the smaller woman huddled on the blonde’s lap, fast asleep, as Yang held her loosely as she petted and nuzzled her hair, comfortably sinking in the cushions of the couch with her feet propped on the low table, flicking through the channels of the TV as she wonder what to watch.

Sometimes Blake would pause for a moment, thinking about how the three of them had grown close, closer than ever. She and Yang had adopted Weiss in their relationship as easily and naturally as it was for breathing, without them really knowing it either. They would include the smaller woman in their decisions, making plans together, and sleep together too, and Weiss only seemed to go along with it, accepting and returning everything they would give to her.

But, there were still some boundaries between the three of them, as if Weiss noticed a lingering kiss or touch, or even a gaze that stayed a moment too long, she would wisely sleep in her own bed, these nights.

Unfortunately, this closeness also meant that the chance that Yang would knock before entering Weiss’s room decreased in the minus, as the chances weren’t really high in the first place.

And so, the door flew open as Weiss was changing, eliciting a very long, very tired sigh from the smaller woman.

“Hey Weiss, wanna go grab ice cream?” Yang asked as she only stepped deeper in the room to sit on her bed, scratching Angel’s chest as she did, for the dog was sprawled over on the mattress.

“Maybe later,” the smaller woman muttered, both her hands on her back and fiddling with the latch of her dress. “Make yourself useful and zip me up.”

Chuckling at the annoyed tone in Weiss’s voice, Yang only stood to step closer and quickly zipped the dress up her back as Weiss kept her hair out of the way, and she let out a small sigh when the blonde rested both her hands on her shoulders, following the smaller woman to the tall mirror on the wall to admire their reflections.

“Are you going somewhere today?” Yang asked, furrowing her brows slightly as she looked over Weiss. “You’re pretty.”

“Oh,” the smaller woman flattened the skirt of the dress on her thigh, her cheeks taking a pale tint of pink as she did. “Thank you. I um, just wanted something casual, but that still allowed movements.”

“Where are you going?” the blonde asked again, this time raising her eyebrows as she looked up to Weiss’s face, in the reflection.

She could see that Weiss was nervous as she kept looking over herself, at her dress that was rather simple, the skirt falling over her knees and covering most of her shoulders and arms, but as it was simple, it was still looking good on her.

“I have a meeting with the master trainer of Mistral’s service dogs,” the smaller woman informed, a nervous hand coming up and tugging at a stray strand of hair.

“Okay… Why are you nervous, then? It’s Angel who should be nervous,” she said, turning her head to smile at the dog.

Angel wagged her tail, the noise of the thumping muffled by the covers as the dog stretched with a low groan, and flopped on her back, looking at them with an upside down smile as her tongue fell out of her mouth. It made the blonde snort as she shooed Weiss’s hand away, tucking the strand back in place, before making her way towards the bed, the tail wagging faster.

“How do you want me to resist that?” Yang cooed quietly as she started rubbing the dog’s belly.

And she continued to whisper sweet nothings in the dog’s ear as she leaned down to kiss it gently while Weiss was still fidgeting in front of the mirror, a frown on her face only deepening as the smaller woman stared longer. After smoothing her skirt again, she suddenly clenched her hands into fists, the flare of anger making her eyes shine and brought a discreet tint of color to her cheeks.

“This is ridiculous!” Weiss grounded through gritted teeth as she started pacing in her room, and Yang followed her with her eyes. “I am Weiss Schnee. I used to sing in front of hundreds of people, I went to Beacon and Haven, I _am_ used to be the center of attention. So _why_ does it feel so hard to go in a public setting again?”

“You go on walks, though?” the blonde countered gently, scratching the blonde’s chest absentmindedly.

“Walks doesn’t involve talking to stranger! I-” suddenly stopping in her tracks, the smaller woman sighed deeply, seemingly hesitating for a second before reaching behind her back with a defeated expression. “Nevermind. I can’t do it today. Maybe in a few weeks-”

“Hey, hey!” Yang jumped to her feet and swiftly made her way to her, her voice smoothing as she gently grasped Weiss’s wrists, seeing the smaller woman’s jaw working as she kept her head down, effectively hiding her expression. “Hey,” she called again, bending her knees to try and see her face. “It’s okay, Weiss. But I have an idea.”

The very brief flash of blue indicated that Weiss was listening and attentive as she was otherwise as still as a statue, and so she resumed, licking her lips quickly.

“How about… I go with you to your thing, and then, as a reward, we go get ice cream? What do you say?”

“Yang-”

“Look, it’s just… You put the effort. You booked a meeting, you even got dressed. Why stop now?”

The silence that followed told her that Weiss was considering it, but Yang knew better than to insist more than that if it turned out that the smaller woman refused again, and so the blonde only waited. If dating Blake, and then marrying her told her anything, it was to be patient. And it paid off when Weiss leaned her head forward, wordlessly pressing her forehead against her chest.

“Would you go with me?” the smaller woman asked in a very quiet voice.

“Of course I will.”

Weiss’s frame seemed to relax a bit with just that, and she looped her arms around the smaller woman, hugging her gently as she dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“I could text Blake for her to join us? Then we could all go get an ice cream together,” she gently proposed, leaning her cheek on top of her head.

“Where is she again? I was in the shower when she left.”

“To see a psychiatrist, or at least talk to the lady a bit. I don’t know if she wants regular sessions, though.”

Humming, Weiss nodded, taking in the information, and before long she pulled away, taking in a sharp breath before nodding again, this time decidedly and to herself.

“Okay,” she sighed, looking up and locking her eyes with the blonde. “Okay. I can do this.”

“That’s the spirit!” Yang smiled widely, giving her both her thumbs up.

Nodding sharply again, a decided look in her eyes, Weiss marched to the door, gesturing at Angel to come along.

“Then let’s go. I want ice cream.”


	7. Chapter 7

The whole process of getting better wasn’t just a straight line forward. It was a long, sinuous one, one that wasn’t only meant to walk forward, as sometimes, there were a couple of steps back. There were bad days, just like everyone else.

And it showed in brief moments throughout the months, in different manners. Yang staying for a very long moment in the shower, crying because her back was itching and hurting. Weiss not getting out of bed for the whole day, because she didn’t want to live it. Blake staring numbly right in front of her without seeing anything. It all went with mood swings, a flash of temper or two.

But in the end, they had each other. Blake would join Yang in the shower to hold her, while Weiss would try her best to cook one of the blonde’s favorite meals. Both Blake and Yang would cuddle with Weiss when she wouldn’t get out of bed, and would slowly making her talk about what was wrong. For Blake, they would rub her back soothingly and talked to her until she would blink, and they would cuddle on the couch.

Now that the snow had melted and the days were growing warmer, Yang had decided to set a fire pit in the backyard, saying that she used to make fires almost every night, when they were still back in Patch. Then her expression darkened, and she returned to her work.

It was easy to get lost in the dancing flames that licked the air, in the darkness of the night. Easy to let the mind drift as they were huddled together under a blanket, Weiss comfortably squished between Blake and Yang as the blonde poked in the fire with a long stick, and Angel was getting toasted as she was laying on her side, close to the fire. It brought back memories. They weren’t all bad, but… nostalgia had grown to hang a lot around them, lately.

Still, days rolled by. After a month of daily training with the Master dog trainer, the man was a bit reluctant to certify Angel as a service dog, for she was a bit too forward with strangers, but he could see how dedicated Angel already was to Weiss, and so he finally gave in and gave her a dog’s vest of service dog in training.

The smaller woman started to go out more with this, sometimes not having a goal in mind but took longer walk across populated parts of the city, going downtown and such. It was her job to test Angel in her work. The first couple of times, Blake accompanied her, or Yang, or the both of them, but lately she could go anywhere with Angel alone. She even bought a coffee in a coffee shop for the first time in forever, it felt.

Proud to see Weiss’s progress and taking back some autonomy to herself, Blake and Yang went to celebrate with her in the form of an ice cream cone, and they ate it at a nearby park, sitting on a bench as they basked in the sun, a light breeze blowing. Weiss herself had went to buy the cones, for she wanted to show them that ‘she got this’, and they could see that Angel always stayed close to the smaller woman, standing right in front of Weiss and watching her back, and they could see the smaller woman sometimes reach to toy with the dog’s standing ear as she was in line, waiting to place her order.

Yang was already fairing much better ever since she started therapy, and Blake had started regular sessions with the psychiatrist, added with sometimes going with Yang at the group therapy.

Kali called at some point and Blake hastily answered, quickly calling Yang and Weiss over, and they each told Blake’s mother, along with Baxter and Ghira, about their progress, and they all were happy and very, very proud. But when Baxter asked, hopeful, for news about Ruby, there was a short, tense silence before Blake answered quietly that there was still nothing.

And here they were now, as Blake was standing in the kitchen a couple of days after her mother’s call, her hands leaned on the kitchen island as she stared at her scroll, or, at what was on the screen.

Reports back to her about Ruby had grown scarce now, the last report she received was almost two months ago, but right now, she was staring at a contract that Jaune had sent her, again. And again, out of curiosity, she opened the file and looked at the mission briefs.

It was a simple one, again. For two Hunters, maybe three if they wanted it to be easier. Just a pack of Beowolf again, near the borders of Mistral and Vale. Again, perfect to get back on the field.

Jaune really did kept an eye out for these kinds of missions for them, it seemed. He was dedicated.

But instead of just deleting the message along with the contract, she decided to think a bit about it. But as it wasn’t a decision she could take alone, she called for Yang and Weiss, moving to the kitchen table.

The two others appeared in the kitchen almost at the same time before pausing when they saw her standing with her arms crossed, her lips pinched as she stared at her scroll, thoughtful.

“Is something wrong?” Weiss asked slowly, her features scrunching up in worry as she stepped closer, her eyes glancing down at the device on the table.

“No,” she assured with a small smile, and she could see the smaller woman instantly relax. “I just wanted to talk about something with you.”

Frowning again, Weiss didn’t say anything this time as she only took a seat, and sure enough Angel was sitting right next to her, leaning her head on the smaller woman’s lap as Weiss petted her ears absentmindedly, and Yang slouched in the nearest chair, only looking up at her wife, waiting for what she wanted to say.

Taking a deep breath, she hesitated a bit, wetting her lips as she tried to find what to say. Suddenly, talking about this felt a lot more difficult than she first thought it would.

“Jaune sent me this,” she settled for this, turning her scroll around and pushing it towards them.

Both Weiss and Yang raised their eyebrows at that but still leaned over to look at what it was, and it was Weiss who recognised it first.

“A mission contract,” she let out, her delicate eyebrows knitted together as she looked up. “Why would he send you this?”

“It’s not the first time; he has sent a couple through the months, but, uh…” she let out a short sigh, her eyes falling back to her scroll. “He… He thinks that Ruby isn’t coming back, and that we should move on, and so…”

She gestured at the scroll, at the contract on it, and Weiss lowered her eyes back at the device, pressing her lips together, and this time it was Yang that raised her head to look at Blake, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“But, if it happened before, why talk to us about it only now?”

“I…”

Trailing off, she shifted her weight from leg to leg a moment as she avoided her wife’s eyes, a pang of guilt squeezing her gut. She should have talk about this before. She shouldn’t have hid it, even more to Yang.

“I thought you weren’t ready for it,” she opted to say, her arms crossed against her chest tightening a bit.

There was a silence as Yang still stared at her, until finally the blonde nodded, humming very quietly as she looked at the contract again.

“So what about it?” Yang asked, keeping her attention on the scroll. “This seems like a simple enough mission. You want us to take it?”

“I’m asking if _you_ want to take it,” Blake corrected as she pointed to Yang and Weiss. “This is perfect to go back on the field. And the pay is good, too.”

That made Weiss look up, her features scrunching up a little.

“You both know you don’t have to worry about money,” she let out dryly, narrowing her eyes at Blake ever so slightly.

“I know, but we can’t always live of your money,” Blake tried softly.

“I mean you already bought the house,” Yang added, leaning her elbow on the table with a short sigh. “You’re even paying for Blake’s sessions, hun. We know that-”

“Don’t you ‘hun’ me,” Weiss interrupted, glaring at the blonde. “All of our names are on the papers of the house. _We_ bought it; it just happens that I was the one to pay for it. And for Blake’s sessions… I’m just glad I can do something to help you. I wasn’t really helpful before, so let me do this! I’m-”

When Yang gently took her hand, Weiss interrupted herself suddenly, her blue eyes lowering on the hand that was squeezing hers, and even if Blake wasn’t touching it, she could see how the smaller woman was shaking. In the silence the simple movement created, she sat down in front of Weiss as she could see Yang’s thumb run over pale knuckles reassuringly, and she could see how Weiss’s jaw was working as the smaller woman was trying her best not to cry.

“Weiss,” Yang called softly, waiting for her to look up, but when Weiss kept her eyes fixated on their hands, the blonde angled her head to try and see her face better. “Weiss, look at me, hun.”

Visibly reluctant, pale eyes slowly looked up at Yang as Weiss kept her head lowered, and it made her expression more a pout than just looking up, but the blonde only smiled softly, quickly flashing Blake a glance as she did.

“If you don’t want to take this mission, than just say so,” Yang let out, her voice gentle and calm. “That’s why Blake talked to us about it in the first place, to know if we would take it or not.”

“It’s perfectly alright if you don’t want to, Weiss,” she insisted, leaning over the table to rest her hand on top of theirs.

Pressing her lips a moment more, the smaller woman seemed to think about it still, until finally her shoulders slouched a bit as she lowered her head again, returning her eyes on the scroll.

“I don’t think I’m ready to be back on the field,” Weiss mumbled, so quietly it was barely audible even to Blake. “I can barely go where I want with Angel, and… and Myrtenaster is still broken.”

“It’s okay,” she nodded with a smile, squeezing both hands in hers. “It’s perfectly alright. And when you’ll be ready, we’ll forge it anew. Okay?”

Weiss looked up for a second, locking her eyes with her before she wordlessly nodded, lowering her gaze again, and as she did Blake looked over at Yang, and saw the same look in her eyes.

Neither of them wanted to leave Weiss alone.

“Can I ask something really, utterly selfish?” the smaller woman let out quietly, but it was enough to catch both her and Yang’s attention back.

“Go ahead?”

“Can you… not go?”

The question, hesitantly parting with Weiss’s lips, was met by silence as both Blake and Yang considered the smaller woman. This request was very strange, coming from her. Usually, she was the one to insist on the importance of making progress, and going back in the field certainly was progress. But before they could say anything, Weiss wetted her lips quickly, shifting in her seat.

“I don’t think I will survive it if one of you never came back, too.”

As they saw Angel rest her head on Weiss’s lap with a quiet whine, a silence settled over them until Yang shifted her chair closer to the smaller woman to wrap her prosthetic arm around her small frame, and Weiss didn’t fight it, leaning over into the blonde’s arms obediently. With a deep sigh, Yang held her close to her, and Blake could see, in her lilac eyes, that the blonde was thinking the same as Weiss.

Before long, she pushed herself from her chair to make her way around the table, pulling a chair to sit right beside the smaller woman to wrap both of them in her arms, a strange possessiveness making her hold around them tight against her.

They didn’t need words, in the moment. Their presence was enough for each other.

 

****

 

Blake was waiting on the sidewalk, her eyes closed as she basked in the warm sun while a cool breeze blew, as if to remind them that summer wasn’t there just yet, and she slipped her hands in her jeans pockets. Her session with her psychiatrist had went well, even though she felt a bit tired, like always when she walked out of her sessions. Her wife had sounded cheerful on the phone when she told her she would come to pick her up.

Hearing the sound of tires on the pavement nearby, she opened her eyes, instantly recognising their car, and when she saw Yang waving at her, she smiled.

She noticed right after that the blonde wasn’t alone as Weiss was sitting in the passenger seat, large and dark sunglasses sitting on her nose as she was sipping what looked like iced coffee. As she got closer, she could see Angel in the backseat, wagging her tail as the dog had spotted her, and she leaned at Weiss’s window, waiting for the smaller woman to roll it down.

“Why are you drinking iced coffee when you’re still wearing a thick jacket?” she asked, amused.

Weiss looked at her over the rim of her sunglasses, raising a single eyebrow.

“I’m calling warmer weather with this,” the smaller woman retorted, shaking her plastic cup in her hand. “I’m doing this for you, Belladonna. I know you miss summer.”

It made her snort as she straightened her back, and she could see Weiss’s lips pull up in a smile as Yang was getting out of the car, waiting for Blake to get around it to peck her quickly on the lips, before opening the back passenger’s door while she took the driver seat. Weiss still slurping at her iced coffee, Blake felt the wet snout of Angel on her cheek as the dog was happy to see her, and it made her flinch back.

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m happy to see you, Angel, so please, sit down.”

Instantly, the dog sat, Angel perking her ears and waiting for another command while Weiss snickered and Blake sighed, clicking on her seatbelt, but as she was about to pull out from the side of the road, she glanced at Weiss, then into the rear mirror to Yang.

“Where to?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “Home?”

“No,” Weis was the one to answer as she sat back in her seat, a smile pulling her lips. “We’re going to your… favorite place.”

“My fav-” Recognition dawn upon her then, and she felt her ears fall flat on top of her head as she narrowed her eyes at Weiss. “Is it the dog p-”

“Shh!” Both Yang and Weiss shushed her loudly, and after quickly glancing to the side, made sure that the dog was distracted by one of the toys at her paws. “It’s a surprise, Blake! Don’t spoil it!”

Rolling her eyes but accepting her fate, she brought the car on the road, towards this place that felt more like a nightmare to her than anything else, and as she could hear Yang cooing at the dog as she played with her, Weiss leaned over slightly, looking at her over her sunglasses.

“She’s been working all week, and you know she needs rest from time to time. Please don’t be mad that we didn’t warn you? I mean, she was right beside Yang when she called you,” the smaller woman sighed a bit, shifting in her seat. “Besides, there’s this new bookstore on the other side of the street, so we figured you wouldn’t really be _that_ upset.”

She couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh, shaking her head slightly, and when she glanced at the rear mirror she could see her wife smiling a charming smile at her, and it made her roll her eyes again, but this time with a smile.

They knew her so well.

But as they made their way, the ride wasn’t long to their destination, and when they turned a certain corner, they all noticed how Angel perked up, looking out the window. Blake glanced at Weiss, who was biting her lips to contain her excitement when Angel stood, pressing her face against the window, until her tail started wagging with force, the dog looking back at them happily.

“You recognise this place right?” Weiss asked the dog, shifting in her seat to look at the dog. “We’re going to the dog park!”

As Blake was parking the car on the side of the road, the dog was whimpering and stepping in place, the rhythmic thumps of her wagging tail making even Blake smile, and as soon as the door opened, the dog jumped out, happily trotting around but waiting for Weiss as the smaller woman took the dog’s leash with a loose hand. Already, they could see a couple of dogs in the park, which made Blake wince.

“I’ll, uh… Be on the other side,” she let out, pointing towards the brand new sign of the bookstore she could see.

“See ya later!” Yang smiled largely at her, and both she and Weiss waved as they made their way closer to the park.

She took a moment to watch them go, seeing Weiss talk to the blonde and pointing at something with the hand that was holding the plastic cup, Yang listening intently and following with her eyes in the direction she was pointed to, before laughing, the smaller woman looking up at the blonde with a smile. It made Blake huff with a smile to see them like this, a warm feeling spreading in her chest.

She could see how Weiss’s eyes were sparkling in the sun as she looked over her sunglasses to smile at Yang, and the blonde took the leash from the smaller woman’s hand in her prosthetic one so she could take Weiss’s hand with her left, and as they continued to talk, they made their way towards the park, hand in hand, despite Angel’s insistent whining and excited barking.

She wondered for a brief moment if Ruby ever felt like this, whenever she looked at her team. She hoped so. She couldn’t think of another name for this feeling besides being happy.

It made her close her eyes for a second, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy. Ruby… had been happy, right? Before the war got into her head, before-

She shook her head with force, decidedly pushing the thought aside. Looking back towards the park, she could see Weiss and Yang entering it, about to let Angel loose, so there was no way she was going there. But looking at them had the desired effect. It calmed her down, along with the certitude that Ruby really had been happy.

She just hoped that, when Ruby would come back… _If_ she came back…

Shaking her head again, this time with an annoyed huff, she made her way to cross the street, and entered the bookstore, hearing the bell jingle faintly in her troubled mind. She needed a distraction. Books were usually the best distraction she had when neither Weiss nor Yang were around.

The distinctive smell of books, old and new, hit her nose and she closed her eyes for a second. This scent has always reminded her of her father’s office. She remembered bursting in the office when she knew Ghira was alone only to sit on his lap while he finished his work, when she was a child. She would ask so many questions, not necessarily related with the work he was doing, but he would always chuckle and answer her questions.

Finally calmed down, Blake let out a short sigh as she looked around, seeing a lady managing the counter as she was looking down, and just the tip of a book was poking out from the counter. She could also see that there was one customer sitting in the corner, drinking from a mug as the man seemed very focused on his read.

Slowly, she took the time to look over the bookshelves, hearing the faint music playing in the background. Not enough to distract the readers, but enough to fill the silence.

Running her fingers over the spines of the books as she passed them, she caught in the corner of her eyes a large map, hung on a piece of wall that wasn’t covered by a bookshelf, right next to the counter where the lady was reading. She made her way there, noticing that people had marked places across the map, and as she looked over it, the lady raised her nose from her book, blinking to focus her vision as her eyes fell on Blake.

“Oh,” she heard the woman let out, and she looked over at her, but the lady only smiled warmly, closing her book on her finger. “It’s rare to see faunus around these parts of town.”

Instantly tensing up and feeling her ears jerking back, she took a slight step backward. The last thing she needed was to be yelled at.

“Am I being a problem?” she asked, already on the defensive.

But it made the woman raise her eyebrows high on her forehead, her big, bright light-brown eyes blinking a few times in surprise.

“No, absolutely not!” the lady was quick to assure with a warm smile, before waving a hand in front of her, designing the rest of the room. “All who likes to read are welcome here. No matter what form they are.”

Smiling gratefully, Blake nodded at the woman behind the counter, and she let herself relax again as her eyes went back to the map, taking in the marks, and the lady leaned over to try and look at it, too.

“Some customers that like to travel mark my map every time they come back,” the older woman informed with a warm smile, before her eyes returned to Blake. “Have you traveled, dear? You could mark the map, too.”

“I sure have,” she smiled back at the woman, taking the pen that the woman was offering. “I come from Menagerie. My teammate comes from Atlas and we went there once. My wife comes from Patch, and we went to Beacon together.”

“Your wife, huh?” the lady repeated with a sly smile as Blake was marking all the places she had mentioned, before something made the older woman frown. “Beacon? Isn’t that Vale’s Hunters school?”

“It is.”

“You’re a Huntress?”

“I am,” Blake nodded with a smile, although it faltered a bit. “Well… For the moment, we’re… retired, I guess.”

“You and your teammates?” the older woman asked softly, leaning over to rest on her elbows, her book forgotten in her hand.

“Yes. My wife is my partner, and my friend is our lea-”

Suddenly interrupting herself Blake looked down, swallowing thickly. Talking with someone else, that didn’t know her and didn’t know of what happened to them was refreshing, but apparently, she couldn’t talk about Ruby. Not yet.

“My friend is my teammate, too,” she opted to say, but the lady only nodded her head, understanding.

For a moment, they fell into an uneasy silence, or at least, Blake thought it was one as she returned to marking the map with care, and she could see, in the corner of her eye, the lady sliding a piece of paper to keep the page she was at and set her book aside, turning to Blake once again.

“My husband is a military man,” the older woman said as her eyes locked with Blake’s. “He was a bit old to go for the war, but… He said it was important. That he had to go, or some young ones would have to in his place.”

The lady’s eyes glanced up and down Blake’s form before she smiled softly.

“How old are you, dear?”

“I’m twenty four.”

“That’s awfully young to be retired,” the older woman let out, her expression darkening slightly.

“We’re retired for the moment,” Blake reminded, capping the pen and returning it to the lady. “Until we… get better.”

The older woman nodded, letting out a short, silent sigh.

“My husband told me that it was terrible for the Hunters,” the lady quietly let out, lowering her eyes to the pen. “That it was almost ten-to-one, if not more. He said that for the last battle, half of the force was wiped out in one single night. He wasn’t there in Vale, but he followed the advance very closely, and…”

Not meaning to zone out but doing it anyway, Blake remembered that night very vividly as she remembered the sounds of the radio, the distant gunshots and screams. It didn’t fill her with terror as it used to; she knew it wasn’t the present. But remembering it still hurt.

Feeling a soft, warm hand brush on her arm, she suddenly came back to reality.

“Dear? I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have talked about this-”

“It’s okay,” she managed to let out, wetting her lips as she cleared her throat. “It’s… Indeed, we lost a lot of Hunters, that night. Good people.”

Clearing her throat again, she took a step back, suddenly needing to hug Yang or Weiss even if she had to stand in the middle of the dog park to do so, and she was about to excuse herself when she felt her scroll buzz in her back pocket, and she reached for it.

It was a report, surprisingly. One that said they had found something about Ruby.

After quickly excusing herself to the lady and promising she would be back another time, she stepped out of the bookstore, and unable to wait she looked at what they had found, hoping it was a sign that showed Ruby was alive. But as soon as she opened it, she stopped dead in her tracks.

It was… Ruby’s cloak. Dirtied and torn a bit, but it was still crimson red, stuck in broken branches of a tree and flapping in the wind, somewhere in the Emerald forest. Large darker spots could be seen on it, and she felt her throat squeeze tightly as she knew what it was.

A car honking made her jump, and she realised she had stopped in the middle of the street, and with her heart pounding in her throat she crossed the rest of it, ignoring the driver that yelled at her, and instantly going to the dog park, dreading the next part as she could see both Weiss and Yang turn and smile at her when they noticed she was coming closer.

 

****

 

They had waited two days for team CFVY to bring back Ruby’s cloak, and even if they all knew what the dark spots were, Weiss had insisted that it needed to be analysed, because maybe it wasn’t blood, or maybe it wasn’t Ruby’s, and they decided to humor Weiss with this. It was hard for everyone, and having the smaller woman fretting over this was too much. But as they made their way back home, with Ruby’s cloak neatly folded in its box despite it being dirty and torn, they were all silent, hearts heavy.

They didn’t know if they should wash it. The sample of blood had been sent to a clinic, and the results would come in a few days, but meanwhile… the box was sitting on the table and the three of them were staring at it, not really knowing what to do. What to say.

Did it mean that Ruby was dead? Yes, she would never part with her cloak, but what if something happened and she _had_ to? Why did it appear only now, anyway? Team CFVY wasn’t the first team in this area, and something as bright as this in the middle of the forest shouldn’t have taken this long to be seen.

But then again… the Emerald forest was quite big.

They still hadn’t found Ruby’s weapon. Her weapon would be more definitive than her cloak, they decided.

And yet, when the blood test came back about a week later with the mention that it was a perfect match to Ruby’s, it felt like a low blow to their guts, as the spots were large all across the red fabric. She must have been… very injured. Maybe even used it to press against her wounds.

This feeling, this… helplessness… Every time Blake looked at Weiss and Yang, it was there as well, and most of the mornings she had to avoid her own eyes in the mirror.

Finding Ruby’s cloak was supposed to give them answers, and yet it only brought more questions left unanswered, and pain and worry.

This ordeal felt like they had lost Ruby. Again.

But this time, they were going to go through this together. Like a team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter, but heh. I didn't want to add anything more to it.
> 
> And next chapter will be the last of this work, if I keep myself under control! Haha.
> 
> And to clear this, I saw in the comments people thinking that this work was the last of the series, but it's not. There's another one after this, WHICH is going to be the last. :p nearly at the end of the road, guys!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. Seeing your comments is a joy, as well as the kudos, and you just reading it makes it worthwhile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeyyy
> 
> So soory for the wait. I had to deal with personal issues, and work, and, well, life in general.
> 
> Also I lied, again. This won't be the last chapter, because you know me, I just kept adding to it and... Anyway. Next one will be the last!

The box sat on the table for months, for none of them knew what to do with it. Yang skipped a couple of group sessions as Weiss seemed to curl on herself with each passing day, but Blake was trying to keep her sessions as regular as they were, as she tried to be there for Weiss and Yang. But neither she nor Yang would let Weiss go back to the road she went in the past, this time.

But they didn’t need to worry, apparently. Weiss, even though she was less talkative, stayed with one of them, keeping them company, Angel always by her side.

Summer finally came, with its hot and heavy weather, long days and the sun blasting its merciless rays down on them. But as they were happy to see the sun, their enthusiasm was dimmed by a couple of notches.

Still, moving on past the contents of the box was hard. Ruby’s cloak wasn’t a sufficient proof for them to really move on like their leader was dead, but… Now more than ever, everyone else was on the same page. That Ruby’s cloak was a definite sign that she died.

Maybe they were holding on to wishful thinking. They were probably doing that, in fact. To keep hoping that one day they would find Ruby despite everyone else saying otherwise. And… maybe it was time. Time to listen to everyone else.

They needed… to keep moving. Moving forward, even if it was along with Ruby’s ghost.

When she was stressed, Yang was more prone to phantom pain in her arm, and sometimes, both in her arm and back, the scarred flesh in her back itching to the point it would hurt, and most nights both Blake and Weiss woke up because the blonde was crying, her prosthetic arm in her left hand and seemingly resisting the urge of throwing it out the window. It always resulted in Yang being sandwiched in the middle as Blake pressed against the blonde’s front and Weiss tried to wrap herself around Yang’s frame against her back, knowing that her warmth soothed the pain from the scarred burn.

Often too, Weiss was waking up because of nightmares, most of the times waking Blake up as she jerked awake but as she did, Angel would jump in the bed and lay down on top of Weiss, licking her chin gently. Blake could understand how this calmed the smaller woman down to the point of going back to sleep again, lulled by the dog’s warmth, its weight reassuring on top of her. And Angel would always wait until Weiss was back in her slumber before moving carefully, returning in her own bed, in a corner of the room.

On the other hand, Blake was the most discreet with her nightmares. She wouldn’t cry, or jerk awake, nothing in her behavior could let them guess she had a nightmare, except that Blake would sometimes wake up suddenly, opening her eyes wide open. She wouldn’t move, more often than not she was the one in the middle, but she kept staring at the ceiling as her heart pounded against her chest, thundering in her ears as the remnant of her nightmare vanished like snow in the sun, leaving behind a dark silhouette that soon vanished like the rest. And she would listen to the sound of Yang’s snores and Weiss’s soft breaths, relaxing as she knew they were both safe and sound, basking in their warmth. But sometimes, Weiss could feel her tensing in her sleep, and as she woke up, the smaller woman was already wordlessly pressing closer, draping an arm around her as she would nestle her face in Blake’s neck.

They never spoke when it happened, or very rarely. After the few times, she had made it clear that she didn’t want to talk about her nightmares, and the same went to Weiss, and so they had come upon this unspoken agreement, that neither of them would try to ask about it, but if one of them wanted to share, it was very welcome. Once or twice, she had shared her nightmares with Weiss, whilst the smaller woman rarely remembered her own nightmares long enough to talk about it. But it happened a few times, too.

When she could see, lurking in the shadows of the room, a silhouette with blood-red eyes that kept staring at her. Blake had had to wiggle from her spot to get out of bed, to show her that there was nothing, and just to be sure, when she came back to bed, she pushed the smaller woman against Yang’s back, securing Weiss between them.

Slowly, routine came back in the house. After three long months of deliberation, they decided to store the box at a less obvious spot in Weiss’s walk-in wardrobe, in Ruby’s side. But as Yang was standing back up, her eyes fixated on the box, Weiss and Blake stood slightly back, the faunus holding the smaller woman’s hand tightly in hers as Weiss leaned into her side. After sliding the door to close the wardrobe, Yang spun on her heels and engulfed them in a hug, tightly, as the blonde kissed the tops of Blake’s and Weiss’s heads.

They were just storing the box to make more place on the table, and to ease the pain it caused at the sight of it, but… it felt far more serious than that. Official. Like they were readily putting Ruby’s thought aside. Leaving her in a corner, in the middle of her clothes, in a room Weiss hadn’t slept in for a couple of months now, except one night here and there.

Still, it was what they needed, to keep it from sight, untouched. It was better this way, they kept saying.

And life kept going. Days kept coming along with nights, people still went to work every morning and back from it every night. Life still went on. And so should they.

It was a surprise when Tai called one day, asking for help to Yang. The house needed repairs again, and he usually would ask Qrow but the Huntsman was away on a mission, and… It would be a nice change of pace, to have someone at the house with him. And after talking with Blake and Weiss, she accepted, going away for a full week. Working on the house, and to spend time with her dad. She still hadn’t told him for Ruby’s cloak, yet.

So the blonde left, her mind set at ease as Weiss took the time to tell her not to worry, that she would look over Blake while Yang was gone. But Blake wasn’t at a loss when the blonde left, instead taking moments with Weiss, when she wasn’t in her office reviewing her father’s reports.

It was one of those days, when Weiss was sitting in the couch with a mug of coffee, her eyes drilled to her scroll as her delicate eyebrows were drawn together, a small frown on her face as she thumbed away on the screen, mumbling under her breath. It was still early in the day, and the sun was piercing through thick patches of cloud, sending golden rays through the window to illuminate everything it touched. And it was in such rays that Blake found Weiss, oblivious as she tapped on her scroll.

Lazily making her way to the couch, she set a hand on the smaller woman’s knee and shoulder, twisting Weiss in one swift motion for her to somewhat lay on her back, before lifting Weiss’s arms higher in the air so she could sneak under it and laid down on top of her, tucking her head under Weiss’s chin as her blue eyes never left her scroll, seemingly used to being moved around by Blake and Yang.

She sighed when she felt Weiss’s arms slowly lower over her, keeping the scroll above her head but still somewhat embracing her, and she closed her eyes as she listened to Weiss’s heart beating, the sound slow and steady against her ears, and the low mumbles coming out of Weiss’s mouth were enough to tickle against the tufted ears.

“What are you doing?” she asked quietly, wondering if Weiss was too distracted to hear her.

But she shouldn’t have worried. Weiss’s answer was instant, along with a sigh.

“The most boring thing ever,” the smaller woman let out in a long breath, her features scrunching up a bit more. “Mathematics.”

She furrowed her brows, shifting a bit to glance at Weiss’s scroll.

“Why?”

“Father doesn’t think his accountant is efficient, nor truthful in his reports, so he asked me to review them.”

Humming, Blake nodded against the smaller woman, returning to her initial position as she slipped her hands under Weiss’s back, embracing the smaller woman lightly as she let out a content sigh, but it only made Weiss chuckle under her breath, the sound rumbling in her chest, against her ear.

“Aren’t you cuddly, today?” the smaller woman said, teasing, her lips curling up.

“You like it,” Blake let out, quiet, but she was smiling, too.

A beat of silence passed between them, leaving them to enjoy each other’s presence, until she felt Weiss’s arms completely close around her, the smaller woman shifting under her to try and look at her face.

“Are you okay? Is there something wrong?” Weiss asked softly, leaving her scroll to gently pet her hair, carefully combing through it.

“No, it’s fine,” she sighed as she closed her eyes again. “I’m just enjoying spending time with my girlfriend.”

“Your girlfriend?” the smaller woman repeated, huffing and arching a single eyebrow.

Opening one eye, she straightened her head, planting her chin on Weiss’s chest to look up at her, a small, teasing smile on her lips.

“I thought you knew that when Yang wasn’t around, you were my girlfriend,” she explained, winking.

It only made Weiss huff again, rolling her eyes.

“Why am I _your_ girlfriend? Why can’t you be mine? I mean, you already got a wife; now you’re just being greedy.”

It made her laugh as she returned her head under the smaller woman’s chin, her thumb gently rubbing Weiss’s shoulder as Weiss nuzzled in her hair, mumbling things again as she resumed what she was doing, but this time, one of her arms was wrapped around Blake, keeping her close to her.

She must have dozed off, because the next time she opened her eyes again, the rays of the sun were definitely not at the same place, and Weiss’s scroll was on the low table right beside the couch along with the mug, and she could feel Weiss’s fingers threading through her hair very softly, her nose running along one of her ears on top of her head, and the other hand was running lightly over her back, the touch soothing and reassuring.

She couldn’t help but hum quietly, shifting a bit under the soft hands, and she felt it when Weiss pressed a soft kiss on her head, right between her ears. A soft purr started rumbling, deep in her chest, and she only tried to snuggle closer to the smaller woman, settling her nose right under the smaller woman’s jaw as Weiss chuckled quietly, her hands never stopping their soft strokes.

“You’re awake,” the smaller woman quietly breathed, not wanting to break the moment.

“I didn’t realise I fell asleep,” she mumbled in her ear, closing her eyes. “You’re finished with your work?”

“I decided I deserved a break,” Weiss said, and she could feel her smile as the sound of her voice made her chest vibrating against her ear. “Besides, I need to be in my office to continue, but… You seemed like you were taking a nice nap. I didn’t want to bother you.”

Humming, she nodded wordlessly, enjoying the soft touches a moment more, but when she opened her eyes and discreetly looked over her, Weiss was staring at the ceiling, her eyes half closed with a strange expression pulling her features, and she brought a hand up to poke the smaller woman’s cheek, earning Weiss’s attention with a blink.

“What are you thinking about?”

The question made Weiss sigh as she returned her eyes to the ceiling, and Blake folded her arm against her, keeping her attention on the smaller woman all the while. She could see Weiss’s jaw working for a moment, before she let out another sigh, this time short.

“About Ruby. Or, more precisely, her cloak.”

Nodding, she waited for Weiss to talk further… but was left hanging. Tilting her head slightly to the side and raising a single eyebrow at her, she noticed the way Weiss pinched her lips as she pretended not to see Blake’s face.

“And…? What are your thoughts? Can I join in?”

“I…”

Taking a sharp breath, Weiss visibly avoided her gaze as she wetted her lips, for a second nibbling at her lower lip, before returning her eyes on Blake.

“Do you… What do you think of the situation?”

Staring at her, she could see that Weiss was struggling with her words as she, again, avoided her eyes, and she tilted her head again, trying to catch her blue eyes.

“Weiss,” she softly called. “What are you asking?”

The smaller woman hesitated then, shifting under her, and she heard the difficult swallow Weiss took.

“I-” the smaller woman started again, her brows knitted together. “I know I can ask you because you’re going to be honest about it. If I just ask Yang, she’ll… She’s just never going to admit that maybe, Ruby…”

She paused for a moment, biting on her lip again.

“Do you think… that Ruby… died?”

She took a long moment to answer, analysing the situation like she had done so many times. Ruby’s cloak, everyone knew, was her most prized possession, besides Crescent Rose. For her to willingly part with it… seemed very improbable. And the blood on it, they knew it was Ruby’s, and there was a lot of it. All the signs pointed to the same answer. Even though she didn’t quite believed it.

“It’s possible that she did,” she simply said.

It made Weiss’s eyes dart up to the ceiling again, her jaw set as her hands stopped their soothing motion on Blake’s back, and she waited for the smaller woman to say something, dreading as much as her this conversation.

“Am I a bad person for wishing she did?” Weiss finally let out, her voice so low and quiet that Blake had to strain her ear to hear.

But she certainly heard. And Weiss’s words surprised her so much that she sat up, suddenly leaving the smaller woman’s embrace to sit on her heels, and it made Weiss sit up too, raising a hand in the air between them.

“I didn’t mean- I meant that if she did, I hope it was quick. I hope she didn’t suffer for too long. That’s what I meant. Because- because…”

Suddenly struggling with her words as she seemed to search in their surroundings to find a better way to express herself, Weiss lowered her hand and started to toy with her own fingers, and before long, her gaze went on her lap to her hands, letting out a shaky breath as she did.

“She suffered enough.”

Tight and trembling, Weiss’s voice could barely let out those words as she kept staring at her hands, and as Blake looked down to follow her stare she could see the same antic, what she thought was a punishment happening as Weiss was frantically sinking her thumbnail in her forefinger, leaving angry red crescent behind. As she wondered why Weiss did this to herself, she nonetheless reached a hand over and gently grasped hers, running a soothing thumb over the abused spot.

“She suffered enough,” the smaller woman said again in a small, silent voice.

As Blake squeezed her hand tightly and leant her forehead against Weiss’s head, nudging with her nose until the smaller woman looked up enough for her to press a kiss on her forehead.

“It’s okay,” she murmured against her skin, wondering for a short second if it really were. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Gently pulling Weiss into her arms, she couldn’t help but pepper her head with soft kisses as she held her closely, and although the smaller woman didn’t cry, she could feel Weiss’s shoulders shaking, feel her body tremble against hers. But she didn’t cry.

 

****

 

That night, when they went to bed, it was Weiss that wrapped herself around her, pressing closely against her back, holding her tightly. It was rare for her to be the big spoon when Yang was around, but she liked it with Weiss too. It was different, for Yang being so tall she could effortlessly wrap herself around her, but Weiss would make up for the difference in height with slotting herself right against her, following every move she made, and just kept holding her close, breathing in her nape.

And it was the same for every night without Yang, Weiss being the big spoon. Blake was just happy being cuddled this closely as she would sigh contentedly, basking in the smaller woman’s warmth.

The very next day, though, when she woke up, Weiss was out of bed as she rolled over only to find her spot empty and cold, and as she opened her eyes, she could see that Angel wasn’t in her bed, too.

She sat up promptly, her heartrate picking up slightly, feeling a sudden nervousness seize her, but she had to rationalise. Maybe Weiss was just somewhere else in the house. No need to panic. Deep breaths, and everything would be alright.

And so she did, closing her eyes for a second, before getting out of bed, straining her ears to hear Weiss, somewhere in the house, but she shouldn’t have worried. Weiss knew how horrible it felt being alone when she woke up, for she had complained about it a couple of times herself, and Blake realised with relief that Weiss wasn’t far, simply across the hallway in fact, for the smaller woman was looking at herself in the mirror, in her underwear.

Instant relief washed over her as soon as her eyes fell on her, but she froze on the spot, in the doorway, not knowing if she had to knock or if she had to leave as Weiss hadn’t heard her coming.

And as she was watching the smaller woman, she wondered what Weiss was telling herself as her blue eyes were fixated on her own reflection in the mirror, a serious expression on her face.

As she glanced around the room, she realised that Weiss had been in the middle of changing, her sleepwear laying rumpled on the bed and the sliding door to her side of the walk-in open, and she saw Angel sitting near, calmly turning her attention to Blake when she made one of the floorboards creak quietly, eliciting a silent wag of her tail. But Weiss hadn’t heard, apparently.

Her attention returned on the smaller woman as Weiss turned a bit to the side, trying to look at herself from a different angle. She hadn’t seen Weiss in her underwear a couple of months back, when she had been so frail and light, and as she knew that she was alright now, that had been sufficient to her. But now, as she could see Weiss like this, she could see that the lack of physical activities and spending most of her days sitting had added on her small frame more flesh than she remembered her having.

And as Weiss brought her hands to her hips, squeezing a bit, she realised that it was exactly that that was bothering her.

She knew that Weiss had lost a lot of muscle mass over time, and she realised that the longer the smaller woman looked at herself, the more her frown deepened, seemingly unhappy with how she looked now.

Blake knew that, as Huntresses, their bodies was the number one tool they had to keep working like a well-oiled machine, they had to keep their bodies in fighting shape for whatever happened. And as she looked at Weiss, she knew she was thinking that right now. But as they were ‘retired’ for the moment, she hadn’t really thought about it before.

As Weiss was starting to poke at the soft skin of her stomach with one hand, the other following the curve of her breast as the cup of her bra wasn’t quite the size to hold them anymore, Blake silently left her alone with her inspection.

She shouldn’t have been surprised when, the very same day, Weiss emerged from the hallway in running gears, Angel’s leash already in hand. And after half an hour Weiss came back, drenched in sweat and out of breath, and after the smaller woman took a shower she found her asleep on the couch, her scroll still in hand.

She snorted a bit at the sight as she pulled her own scroll out of her pocket to take a picture, but when she saw the relaxed expression on Weiss’s face, how she was napping with complete abandon after exerting her body, Blake figured that the next time Weiss went for a run, she would join her.

It was two days later, when they were out for a jog in the early morning even if Weiss had been complaining at her own idea, that Blake remembered something from her sessions, something her psychiatrist had said as she looked at the side of the cliff that they were jogging along, seeing it caught in mist with the morning sun filtering in it, and she stopped for a second, her eyes glued to the sight.

A hobby. She had asked Blake to find a hobby that was completely unrelated with her line of work.

As she pulled out her scroll to take a picture, she heard Weiss stop a couple of paces in front of her, and taking the time to get the right lighting, she took a few pictures, taking the time to look over them before resuming her run, and as they made their way home, she thought that she could invest a bit in photography.

She had always liked taking pictures of sceneries, now that she thought about it.

 

****

 

It didn’t take long for Blake to buy a better camera than her scroll, as it didn’t take her long to discover that her favorite subjects were landscapes, and Weiss. She was indescribably photogenic, that the smaller woman knew, when she would pose and whatnot, but what Blake preferred was when Weiss wasn’t aware, capturing a beautiful moment without her knowing.

It happened often when they were out on walks, when Weiss would look up at the rolling clouds with a small smile, the sun catching in her eyes in a way that made them shine. When she was smiling down at her scroll after Yang had sent them a funny picture or a funny text. Or at home, when Weiss had been sitting on the steps of the backyard with Angel in front of her as the smaller woman was smoothing her standing ear back to kiss the spot between the dog’s eyes, Angel closing them in bliss.

Blake didn’t know if Weiss had noticed. The shutter of the camera wasn’t something as discreet as she liked, but if she noticed she didn’t say a thing. And with that, the week passed in a flash, and they were jogging back to the house on one of their morning runs when they saw a cab stopped in front of the house. As they got closer they recognized the blonde woman who was closing the trunk with a suitcase in her hand, tapping on the trunk twice to signal to the driver that she was finished, and the cab took off.

She glanced at Weiss, but not for long. Angel, too, had recognised the blonde woman that was looking their direction before waving widely, and the dog, without an ounce of consideration to the small woman who had tied the leash around her waist, went for a sprint, the large body of the dog easily dragging her owner with a loud yelp.

Fighting to not break out laughing, Blake followed, matching Weiss’s pace as the smaller woman had managed to not fall over, and in no time they had reached the front lawn, Yang letting go of her suitcase to open her arms wide with an equally wide smile as bright as day, and the three of them crashed into the blonde, making all of them fall to the ground with a chorus of groans and yelps.

They were sweaty and out of breaths, but Yang still held them close to her, kissing the tops of their heads before Angel flopped on her side right on Yang’s face, laying sideways over the blonde’s head with her tail wagging widely, the dog whining and groaning loudly for Yang’s attention.

After spitting a handful of fur and letting them go, the blonde rolled over, crouching as she stared at Angel with a mischievous smile, and Weiss hastily took the leash off the dog’s collar, not wanting to be dragged around the lawn. Instantly, the dog lowered herself on her forelegs, her tail still wagging as Angel let out a long, drawn out whine, waiting for Yang to make the first move.

It still amazed her how Angel could be vocal when she played with Yang. But as she glanced at Weiss beside her, the smaller woman was watching over them with a fond expression, holding the leash tightly in her hands.

“You missed me, baby girl?” she heard Yang ask, and she looked back just in time to see her patting her chest twice, before opening her arms.

Angel jumped forward, running the distance before spinning on herself at the last second to crash against Yang again, but this time the dog flopped on her back, four legs in the air with her tongue lolling out of her mouth as Yang proceeded to vigorously rub the dog’s chest and belly, never stopping cooing in the process.

Huffing as she shook her head a little, Blake went ahead to take Yang’s suitcase and carried it inside, leaving it in their bedroom for now, and as she made her way back outside, Weiss and Yang were entering the house, chatting happily as Angel trotted inside, her tail held high, and she took a moment to look at them, a soft smile on her lips.

“How was your father?” Weiss was asking, closing the door behind them as she brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

“Oh, um, he was well, I guess,” the blonde shrugged a bit. “But boy was he glad to see me! I keep telling him that he should build another roof altogether; there’s more patches than roof, now. But, heh. I guess it’s the only way he can have some company.”

Yang shrugged again, lowering her eyes a bit guiltily as she rubbed the back of her neck, and it made Blake furrow her brows slightly.

Odd. Yang only did that when she was nervous.

“What have you two been up to?” the blonde asked, smiling as she dropped her hand to her side.

“Working, I’m afraid,” Weiss huffed, her eyebrows twitching up as she leaned her hip against the kitchen island. “And we started going out on runs.”

“That’s great! Maybe I should join you next time!”

“Blake has also taken a habit of taking pictures of me when I wasn’t looking, it seems.”

She turned her head to the smaller woman, her eyes widening as she could see the corner of her lips going up as she pretended not to see Blake’s reaction.

“I thought you weren’t aware of it!”

“You’re not as discreet as you think you are,” Weiss only winked, apparently satisfied of her surprise.

Grimacing a bit, she turned to Yang as she leaned over to fish her camera that she had left on the living room’s low table, showing it to the blonde.

“I realised I liked photography,” she explained simply.

“Ooh, that’s nice,” Yang looked the camera over, turning it on as she furrowed her brows, focused on flicking through the pictures.

A silence fell on them as Yang browsed through the pictures, and she could almost feel how the blonde was tense. In the way she had avoided talking about her week with her father, how she seemed so interested in what they did instead… She glanced at Weiss, and the smaller woman locked her eyes with her, a flash of concern in her eyes telling her that Weiss, too, thought something was strange. And it was her, too, that took the initiative.

“Have you talked to your father?” she asked quietly, standing a bit closer to look at the pictures too.

Yang’s thumb froze for a second over the buttons on the camera before resuming what they were doing, and Yang shifted slightly, keeping her attention on the pictures in front of her.

“About what?” the blonde asked, seemingly distracted.

Again, pale-blue and golden eyes met shortly.

“You know what,” Blake pursued, returning her attention on Yang. “Ruby’s cloak.”

Tensing up, Yang clenched her jaw for a short second, her lilac eyes, already cast down, glanced to her right before her features sharpened, focusing her attention on the camera.

“No.”

She stared at Yang for a long moment, feeling Weiss’s stare on her but keeping her focus on her wife while Yang’s features only hardened, stubbornly avoiding her gaze.

“No?” she repeated, dumbfounded. “Why?”

“Because,” the blonde simply let out. “It’s better this way.”

“Yang, you can’t be serious. You went there for this exact reason!”

“I went to see my dad to keep him company and help him with the roof!”

“But-”

“It’s better this way,” Yang said again, setting the camera down on the kitchen island.

“Yang.”

She hoped it would make the blonde look up, lock her eyes with her, make her see that she just wanted to understand, but when the blonde did look up, the look in her eyes was one of stubbornness, her jaw set and unyielding as she crossed her arms above her chest tightly.

“Blake.” Yang said, rising to the challenge.

She was dimly aware of the sound of the soft padding of Weiss walking away, and she only looked back when she heard the glass-door leading to the backyard sliding open, seeing Weiss waiting for Angel to get out before sliding the door shut behind her, silently leaving them alone. It made her sigh.

“Yang, come on,” she pleaded, looking back at her. “You just came back, I don’t want to-”

“And yet, you’re the one who makes me feel like I made a mistake.”

“Well, it’s just- He’s your dad, but he’s also _her_ dad too, and I think he deserves to know what happened!”

“I didn’t tell him to protect him!”

“To protect him?”

“You don’t know how it’s like!”

There was such a large amount of hurt in her voice that it made her pause, staring at the blonde as Yang started pacing in the space of the kitchen, running a hand in her wild hair, agitated, and for a moment Blake wondered if Yang was really talking to her, or if Yang was just voicing her thoughts. She had never seen her wife so… touchy on a subject like this.

Before she could say anything, Yang stopped, setting her hands on her hip, and she could see how tense the blonde’s shoulders were, how stiff her movements were as she turned around, and her lilac eyes were flickering between lilac and soft red.

“I don’t want Dad to shut down again!” Yang resumed, her voice tight. “Because I know he will! Ruby’s… Ruby is the last thing he has of Summer, and I know he can’t lose both of them!”

“Yang,” she started, her voice soft and quiet.

“It’s my dad, it’s my sister; it’s _my_ decision!”

Yang’s voice was harsh, as if she thought she was about to argue, and it made her ears drop low on her head, but the blonde instantly rubbed a hand over her face, trying to calm down. But even if this outburst was unusual, she knew her wife; Yang was in pain, and worried beyond words. And so, she extended her hand, silently, a peace offering for Yang to take.

Instantly, the blonde’s shoulders dropped as her eyes settled on her hand, the red vanishing from her eyes as she considered it for what seemed like a long moment, before moving and very delicately took it, her left hand warm in hers but her touch was infinitely soft as Yang took a step closer, keeping her gaze cast low as she slowly leaned her forehead against hers. She saw the blonde close her eyes with a deep sigh, and with the seconds ticking by, she could tell that Yang was losing her edge, and she could see how tired her wife actually was when she opened her eyes again.

“I’m sorry,” the blonde murmured, blinking slowly, still not meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just… I wanted to tell him, because he deserves to know. But I…”

Swallowing thickly as lilac eyes glanced to the side, Blake preferred to stay silent, only squeezing her hand lightly.

“I saw him smiling and laughing, and I couldn’t,” Yang continued, keeping her voice low. “I couldn’t tell him that we found her cloak. I couldn’t let him lose hope that she’ll be back someday.”

She let out a bitter laugh, closing her eyes again.

“It really is history repeating itself, I mean… Mom, she… She went missing when out for a mission, and… she never came back. We all assumed she was dead when uncle Qrow found her cloak. Blood smeared all across the white fabric. I remember seeing a glimpse of it, when uncle Qrow showed it to Dad. Many years later, Qrow dyed it red, and gave it to Ruby, saying that’s what she would have wanted. Dad was barely aware of it, but he still aproved.”

Blake hummed, running her thumb over the blonde’s scarred knuckles, the feeling so familiar to her now.

“But is it really worth it?” she asked quietly, earning Yang’s attention. “I mean… What if Ruby never comes back? Your dad…”

“Blake, can we… not?” the blonde sighed. “I know Ruby’s still alive. I just _know_ it. And she’ll be back one day. I just don’t know when.”

She nodded slightly, humming quietly, and a silence fell on them again, until, almost hesitantly, Yang slowly wrapped her prosthetic arm around Blake’s waist to gently pull her into her arms before burying her face in Blake’s neck. But she still held Blake’s hand in hers, as delicately as before.

“I’m sorry I yelled.”

“I know.”

“I even scared Weiss,” the blonde mumbled in the depths of her neck, before her blonde head turned to the side to look towards the glass-door, where they could see Weiss sitting on the steps and holding Angel closely to her. “Do you think she’ll be mad at me?”

“I don’t know, but you should apologise.”

“Of course I will, I never meant-”

Yang interrupted herself as she sighed, tightening her hold on Blake slightly.

“I never meant to scream at you.”

She moved a bit, kissing the blonde’s temple as her arm looped around the blonde’s frame.

“I know,” she breathed in her ear, rubbing the tip of her nose against the shell of her ear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeyyyyyyy! So, um, guess what? My last chapter transformed into two, maybe even possibly three other chapters! (I really should stop guessing how many chapters would be left. I completely suck at this.)
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to make one long last chapter, but then I realised it was going to be so, SO long, and so I split it in two. And, after I complete part 2, I'll see if it's really going to be a part 2, or if I'll have to add a part 3.
> 
> ANYWAY, here's part 1! (It's almost 15k long. you're warned.)

As soon as their voices started rising, Weiss ducked out, a strange feeling of déja-vue taking hold of her as she made her way outside. Even with the door closed, she could still hear yang’s voice, although it was muffled, and she sat there, on the steps, unable to take another step further.

It made her think of her parents, how they used to fight for anything and everything. She could remember her younger self hiding behind her father’s desk and trying to cover her ears when it happened in his office. She remembered how she would run to her room to try and silence it with her door closed, pressing her pillow against her ears to stop the ringing in her ears. When Winter left, the fights were even more frequent, and even more violent as she got older.

Blake and Yang, thought, had never fought. Or, as far as she knew it. They argued often, for both had varied opinions and points of views, but they always managed to talk it out, and if it got serious, she guessed they would take it elsewhere. But, as far a she knew it, they had _never fought_.

She winced when she heard Yang’s voice rising again, shrinking in place, and she was dimly aware of Angel nudging her arms, wiggling to take place in the small space between her arms, and she sat back for a moment, Angel wagging her tail slightly as the dog sat between her legs, and pressed against her front, laying her head against her shoulder.

Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Yang pacing in the kitchen, could see Blake’s ears low on her head, and she felt her guts squeeze as she turned around, wrapping her arms tightly around Angel. As she closed her eyes and leaned her cheek on the dog’s head, she felt panic rising.

Blake and Yang _couldn’t_ fight. They were stronger than anything. They went through so many things together, and they still loved each other so much, and she remembered seeing them so often talking quietly under their breaths on the side when a conversation had taken a more serious turn. She admired them to be able to stay calm and talk things out. She had always wanted to be like this. To be like them.

They _couldn’t_ fight like this.

Her throat tightened, and she had to focus on Angel to remember how to breathe. To not let the panic settle in. They weren’t her parents, they would be okay. Someday, everything would be okay.

Except, Ruby might not be there.

She forced her breath out before taking in a slow intake of air, feeling Angel’s warm tongue on her cheek when the dog licked her, and it made her focus. All she had to do was to focus on Angel, right now. Focus on the instant, to remember how to breath, to forget the pain in her chest, to forget the twist in her guts. All she had to do was focus, and breathe.

She could feel Angel’s wet snout nudging her neck as the dog twisted in her arms, and she felt when both forelegs wrapped around her in what felt like a hug, and it made her huff, but she was still thankful as she started petting Angel’s head, gently smoothing back the dog’s standing ear repeatedly, the motion reassuring as Angel sighed softly in her ear.

All she had to do was focus, and breathe.

It took a moment before the pain in her chest faded, the sudden overwhelming panic dimming to bearable levels and slowly, gradually, relaxing enough for it to go away as her hands stopped shaking, her strokes on Angel’s head growing assured as time went on. She could hear birds chirping in a nearby tree, feel the sun warming her skin, and she also noticed the silence behind her. But she was too tired to look back, to see if Blake and Yang were still there.

At some point, the glass-door behind her opened quietly, and she recognised the heavy footing of Yang as the blonde closed the door behind them. She opened her eyes, keeping her gaze forward as Yang seemed to hesitate, before the blonde quietly sat beside her.

She kept petting Angel in the silence, waiting for Yang to say something.

“Are you okay?” came the quiet inquiry.

She managed to shrug one shoulder, bothering Angel on the way for the dog had been dozing off against her, and another silence stretched between them, until she felt Yang’s warm hand against her back, her touch light.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

She only hummed in response, nodding.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The hand on her back started rubbing in soothing circles, sharing its warmth and sending it seeping all through her limbs, like balm on the faint pain that had seized her chest, and she closed her eyes, enjoying her touch for a moment. She felt it when Yang shifted closer, slowly sliding her arm around her narrow shoulders, but always slowly, delicately, attentive to any sign of discomfort on her part, but she let it be.

Yang’s presence felt like it has always been; strong, warm, reassuring. Familiar. She could relax with her. And so, she did, leaning a bit more into the blonde’s side, earning a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Weiss asked quietly, her voice so soft and quiet that the wind could take it away.

But Yang heard as her strong arm tightened its hold around her shoulders, and she stayed quiet for a moment, thumbing her shoulder, before turning her head to the side and pressed a soft kiss against Weiss’s temple.

The blonde let out a long sigh against her hair, nuzzling there for a couple seconds more, before answering in a breath, right in her ear.

“I guess one day I will.”

A silence fell on them then, and they let it linger for a long while as Yang leaned her cheek on top of Weiss’s head, and the fluffy clouds kept rolling in the blue sky, pushed by the wind, sometimes blocking the rays of the sun on them shortly. At some point, the glass-door behind them slid open, and without hesitation Blake joined them, sitting on the other side of Weiss. It was as the faunus was trying to hold her that Angel realised that Blake was there, too, and the dog, wagging her tail quietly, wiggled slightly in Weiss’s arms to reach over, and with the tip of her tongue, Angel licked Blake’s chin.

Blake’s reaction was so sudden that she nearly jumped out of her skin when the faunus threw herself back with a yell, vigorously rubbing her chin with her ears flat on her head, glaring daggers at Angel’s head poking from Weiss’s shoulder as they could hear the rhythmic thump of the dog’s tail on the steps.

And when Blake hissed, it made Yang laugh. And she couldn’t help but smile.

 

****

 

That night when they went to bed, Yang was the one in the middle as she laid on her back, Blake snuggled up all against her on one side and Weiss curled up on the other, using her left arm as a pillow, curling it around Weiss’s thin frame and resting her hand on the smaller woman’s waist, earning a soft, content smile from Weiss before she fell asleep in a second.

The next morning, they were all woken up by the usual, early in the morning alarm Weiss always had set, but instead of seeing the smaller woman get out of bed and drag her feet around, Weiss slammed it off with deadly precision, before turning around with a deep scowl on her face to snuggle closer to Yang, both the blonde and Blake chuckling at the sight.

The three of them dozed off then, in and out of sleep until the sun was high in the sky and pooling at the end of the bed, and now Blake was resting her head in her hand as she was toying with Weiss’s fingers over Yang’s stomach, listening absentmindedly at Weiss’ and Yang’s conversation, watching closely how the slender fingers would curl and uncurl through their conversation.

Weiss’s laugh caught her attention, and she looked up just in time to see the smaller woman playfully slap Yang’s arm, and the blonde only chuckled in response. She smiled then, a warm fuzz spreading through her chest as she looked at them, and in this moment Yang looked to her, her lilac eyes filled with love and affection, and she smiled, too.

“How about we go on a vacation?” Blake said suddenly, squeezing Weiss’s hand as she glanced between both her and Yang. “The three of us?”

Both blonde and alabaster eyebrows rose up as lilac and pale-blue eyes glanced at each other, before returning to Blake.

“A vacation?” Yang asked, furrowing her brows slightly.

“Where would we go?” Weiss continued.

Humming as she looked up at the ceiling, Blake straightened her back and freed her hand to tap her chin a couple of times, thoughtful.

“I was thinking somewhere sunny and warm, with gorgeous beaches near the sea, where there are tall palm trees and beautiful shells in the sand, and-”

“Menagerie,” Yang guessed with a fond smile, shifting a little. “But, a vacation is used to get away from something. From what would we be trying to get away from?”

“Well,” Weiss sighed, lowering her eyes to Blake’s hand that was still toying with hers. “If I could get away from my father’s reports…”

“That’s a great idea! Let’s get away from Jerk Schnee’s reports!”

She huffed as she saw Weiss rise her eyes to the sky, before her eyes settled on Blake, serious for a second.

“Will it really be alright with your parents to bring Angel?”

“Ah right, Angel,” she let out as she turned a bit, seeing, above Weiss’s shoulder, the dog’s head perking at her name. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

As the dog’s tail started wagging quietly, Yang only shrugged, wiggling from her spot to get out of bed.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to ask them, right? I know Bax will be excited to see how much she’s grown!”

 

****

 

“Oh, you’re so lovely! I’m so happy to meet you! You have such beautiful eyes and you’re so pretty!”

They watched in silent amazement as Kali was kneeling in front of Angel while the dog was wagging her tail widely, proceeding to lick clean every inches of her face as the older faunus only laughed, and it was almost in synch that Weiss and Yang turned to Blake, who only watched in muted horror at the scene while Baxter only laughed his heart out. As for Blake’s father, Ghira stood tall behind the three of them, a frown on his face as he grumbled under his breath, glaring a bit at the dog.

Well. The apple never falls far from the tree.

Kali, Ghira and Baxter had been delighted to know they wanted to visit for a week, and it was an emotional Kali that embraced Weiss for a long moment upon their arrival, the older faunus murmuring things that Blake didn’t hear as Weiss only nodded from time to time, her hands clutching the clothes on Kali’s back. She glanced at Yang, sharing a knowing, fond smile before Kali pulled back to cup the smaller woman’s face for a moment, considering her before moving one of her hands to push back one stray white lock behind Weiss’s ear, and leaning over to press a soft kiss on her forehead, Weiss closing her eyes as she did.

Then, they heard a call in the distance, and Blake looked over to see two people, very familiar, waving at them as they got closer, and it was with a large smile that she waved back, Yang doing the same. Kali had waited for them to arrive at the harbour, alone, for she didn’t know if Ghira and Baxter would be there on time, and as Baxter started running, his arms held wide open as Yang waited for him, her arms opened wide too, she glanced quickly at Weiss when her mother turned to her, the smaller woman discreetly clearing her throat and wiping her eyes as she was looking down.

Kali didn’t seem to care about the tears in her eyes when she smiled up at her, and she hugged her mother tightly as she heard the loud groan Yang let out when Baxter tackled her. She heard her mother sniffle a couple of times but she pretended she didn’t, and she leaned her cheek against Kali’s temple, closing her eyes as she enjoyed her mother’s presence.

She heard Weiss chuckling lightly as Baxter left Yang to hug Weiss, and she opened her eyes just in time to see that Ghira had finally reached the group, for he had kept walking instead of running like Baxter did, and he was embracing Yang tightly, and it was only now that she realised it had been well over a year that he hadn’t seen them. The last time would have been… at their wedding. Before the war. When Ruby… was still with them.

Her throat suddenly tightened, her hold around her mother, too, as she could only imagine how her parents and Baxter had lived the war. To hear that it had started. To learn that they left without having the time to say goodbye, with no news for months as they only heard that Salem’s forces kept pushing them back. And for them to hear that the war suddenly ended, with Ruby missing along the way.

“You must have been so worried, during the war,” she breathed in her mother’s ear, earning her attention instantly. “Dad… We should have come sooner. It’s been so long since he saw us.”

“Blake,” Kali’s voice was reassuring, steady and firm in her ear. “Could you really come sooner?”

She took a moment to look up towards Yang, who was smiling as Ghira was kissing her cheek, before glancing to Weiss, who was trapped in Baxter’s tight hug as the boy was rocking both of them from side to side exaggeratedly while the smaller woman was, very weakly she had to say, trying to get away.

“You came as soon as you could,” Kali continued before pulling away just a bit to look up, a small smile on her lips as she lifted a hand up to touch her daughter’s cheek. “Your father understands.”

Her mother smiled again, a soft glint in her eyes before both of them noticed that Ghira was moving towards Weiss, and Kali winked at her before pulling away, opening her arms wide for Yang as the blonde did the same, and before she could do anything else, Baxter crashed into her, burying his face in her neck.

“I missed you so much!” the boy was saying, sounding out of breath but oh, so happy. “And Mom and Weiss seem to be doing so well, and I…”

She soon understood why he sounded out of breath when she heard him sniffle quietly as his grip tightened around her, but he continued as she set a light hand on his head, noticing now how long his ponytail was.

“I’ve been worrying so much ever since I left because Weiss-” He interrupted himself when his voice broke, and he cleared it as she leaned her cheek against his dark red hair, petting his head. “Weiss looked like a ghost,” he continued, his voice shaking. “Mom was spacing out sometimes, and at the harbour, you… I had to stay strong for you, but I cried all the way back home and when I saw Gramma-”

“I’m sorry, Bax,” she murmured in his ear, feeling her eyes welling up as the boy kept rambling on. “I’m sorry we made you worry so much.”

A single, quiet sob answered her, and it made her close her eyes as she kissed his temple, and she started rubbing his back in slow, soothing circles.

“And thank you for waiting,” she added as quietly as before, nuzzling his hair.

“You’re okay now and I’m just so glad-”

He sobbed again, this time a bit louder, and she opened her eyes to see that it earned the attention of Kali, who turned her head towards them, and she saw Yang looking up at them too, curious. But when the blonde saw her welled up eyes and how closely she held Baxter, her eyebrows were drawn a bit closer in slight worry, and Blake wordlessly motioned for her to come closer, sniffing once.

Leaving Kali with one last glance, Yang quickly stepped closer, her worried frown deepening when she realised that Baxter was crying, and her lilac eyes locked with hers for a second, asking silently.

“He’s glad we’re okay,” she managed to croak, her throat tight.

A whirlwind of emotion passed in her eyes as her expression changed many times, Yang’s lilac eyes settling on Baxter’s head as she finally managed a smile, leaning over to press her forehead against the side of his head.

“You’re crying for us, little man?” the blonde asked, her voice already tight.

“I’m not little anymore,” Came the shaky answer, along with a loud sniffle.

“You’ll always be our little man, sweetheart.”

Starting with a few kisses along the crown of his head, Yang nudged her head between Blake’s neck and Baxter’s face, making him chuckle shortly before she proceeded to cup his face and peppered it with kisses, more noisy than the other, and soon, they were both laughing, Yang holding Baxter’s face between her hands.

Their laughs died down in a sigh, but they still had a smile on their lips as Baxter and Yang locked their eyes together, the boy’s green eyes shining in the sun, Yang thumbing his tears away, and it was only now that she realised that he was taller than Kali, now. Just a bit, a few inches taller between the couple of months since they last saw each other, but here it was.

He wasn’t ‘little’, anymore.

Maybe Yang saw it too, because there was weariness in her eyes as she was considering him for a moment, gently thumbing his cheeks, tracing the edges of the scales there with her left thumb, but she still smiled softly.

“You’re going to be such a great man, one day,” the blonde softly let out. “I’m so proud of you.”

Baxter straightened his back slightly, his eyes watering again but his smile radiant as Yang pulled him into her arms, before her lilac eyes searched for Blake’s, and in the same motion the blonde grabbed her arm and pulled her too, engulfing the two in her arms.

“Oh, is this… Is this Angel?”

Her mother’s voice, sounding so delighted out of the blue, made her look their way as she could see Weiss turn her head to Kali, before lowering it to look at the dog sitting calmly right beside her, Angel wearing her vest and leaning slightly against her leg as the smaller woman was petting the dog’s head, absently.

“Oh, yes,” Weiss nodded, clearing her throat quietly. “I wanted to make the presentation once we were at the house, because she’s working right now.”

“Working?” Ghira’s deep voice mused, and she saw him tilt his head slightly to the side as he looked at the dog with a raised eyebrow. “What is she doing?”

“She’s, um,” the smaller woman furrowed her brows shortly, clearing her throat again as she glanced around quickly. “She’s keeping me grounded, right now.”

When she saw her father’s frown only deepening as he seemed to ask something else, Blake was starting to pull away from Baxter and Yang, but she saw Kali very discreetly elbowing Ghira, and the Chieftain only hummed in response, nodding, and she glanced around, too, suddenly realising something.

Menagerie. Through the years, this place has been their haven as they had visited Blake’s parents often enough for the villagers to actually recognise and remember them. Their little sacred place.

It also meant that it was full of memories with Ruby.

As they slowly made their way back from the harbour to the house, Blake realised that this vacation might be a lot more difficult than she had thought as, everywhere she looked was a place they had gone together with Ruby.

But then, they reached the house, and after leaving their luggage in one of the rooms, Weiss removed Angel’s working vest, and made the presentation.

 

****

 

An alarm blaring violently in her ears made her wake up with an angry frown on her face, and she creaked one eye open to see Weiss seemingly roll out of bed to shut it off, and the smaller woman sighed deeply as she sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, running a hand through her hair and trying to tame them a little. But when she sighed again, about to stand, Blake reached over and wrapped an arm around the smaller woman’s waist before pulling her back with her, decidedly closing her eye.

“We’re on vacation,” she grumbled in Weiss’s air as the smaller woman was weakly trying to get away. “You’re not working today.”

“I just need to finish something,” Weiss sighed, pulling on Blake’s arm. “You didn’t really give me time to be ‘ready’ to go on vacation.”

“Then do it later. Sleep in.”

She heard the smaller woman sighing again, going still for a moment, before Weiss slipped under the covers again.

“Fine. Five more minutes.”

She only hummed, both of them knowing this was the biggest lie Weiss had ever told as the smaller woman was shifting into a more comfortable position, letting Blake spoon her with a content sigh, and in record time Weiss’s breathing was deep and slow again, easily slipping back in the sands of sleep.

This scene felt oddly familiar to Blake as Yang shifted in her sleep against her back, sighing between snores, and she could almost relive it.

A younger Baxter coming in, before Ruby jumped on the bed, too. Smiling and laughing, before the war took its toll on her cheerful soul.

She buried her face in Weiss’s hair, trying to think about something else and failing miserably. So, without looking, she reached back, grabbing Yang’s arm and pulling, making the blonde roll over in her sleep and waking her somewhat, but when the blonde realised Blake was pulling her arm, Yang mumbled incomprehensibly as she turned around, and pressed against Blake’s back, draping an arm over both Blake and Weiss, and went back to sleep in a wink.

In the silence of the room, she heard Angel sigh, heard her claws scratching against the floor quietly as the dog shifted on her own bed, and she wondered if everything, one day will be really, truly okay.

 

****

 

Gritting her teeth at the incessant demands of her father, Weiss hardly stared at her scroll as she was finishing her report, about to send it to her father and finishing for the day – the week, truly – until Jacques messaged her saying that he needed her to review the SDC’s annual profits, and she was so frustrated that she barely saw someone standing in front of her. But she dodged the hand that was about to snatch her scroll from her hands as if it was second nature.

“Weiss.”

That was Blake’s voice, a clear warning as she looked up at the faunus who was crossing her arms over her chest and towering her in quiet annoyance.

“I need to finish this,” she grounded out, but a flash of gold on her right made her bristle, and she jerked her scroll away from her right side.

Yang’s hand closed on thin air as the blonde pouted slightly, disappointed that Weiss saw her, but she only shrugged before crouching beside her, planting her chin on the armrest of the couch she was sitting on.

“You said that for the last report you just sent,” Yang nodded, glancing at Blake quickly. “But I saw you accept something else. We’re on vacation, Weiss.”

“Look, I can’t just ignore-”

Her scroll was snatched from her fingers, and she jerked her head around to see Baxter holding it and already running out of the room.

“I got it!” he cheered as he looked back towards Blake and Yang, offering them a thumb-up.

“Good boy!” Yang was already jumping away, her smile so large it could split her face in two. “Now run, and don’t let her catch you!”

“What the-” Weiss started, scrambling to her feet and turning promptly to Blake.

As Yang was following Baxter out of the house, she could see Blake stare at her for a second, before her silhouette started to get blurry, and she felt her eye twitch when she was left with one of Blake’s shadows as she looked to the nearest window, seeing it wide open, the light curtains puffing in the soft breeze coming in.

Angel was panting beside her, wagging her tail as she kept glancing back and forth between the door where Yang had disappeared and Weiss, excited by all the people running off, and with a deep sigh, Weiss made her way out of the living room, crossing Kali’s path as she did.

“I have nothing to do with this, but,” Kali smirked, her eyes sparkling as she winked. “Yang went towards the backyard, Blake towards town and Baxter was running to the beach.”

“Thank you,” Weiss smiled as she gracefully bowed her head, a deadly determination settling in before she made her way outside.

“Don’t be late for dinner!”

When she got outside, she shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked around, before extending a hand in front of her, a large glyph stretching on the ground in front of her, and a large, snow white Ursa and Beowolf erupted from the ground, making Angel wag her tail excitedly. But without a word from her, the two Grimm took off in different directions.

Then, a smaller Grimm emerged from the glyph, and this time Angel barked excitedly, looking up at Weiss. And, without a word, the Boarbatusk took off towards the beach, Angel happily trotting to it as Weiss slowly followed.

 

****

 

She had been running for a while and nothing had happened. Between two ragged breath, she chanced a glance over her shoulder, quick. Nothing. The coast is clear, she thought, slowing down gradually as she turned a little more to better look behind her, making sure there wasn’t a very angry Weiss that followed her. Finally coming to a stop, she huffed, smiling cockily as she turned around, stretching her arms above her head as she was catching her breath.

A golden lock was pushed against her sweaty face with the wind, and she winced slightly chagrined that she hadn’t thought about tying her hair up before the unravelling of their plan, and a far away, ominous rumble caught her attention, and she stopped, straining her ear to hear better.

It was definitely growing louder, and fast.

She looked up, wondering if it was an airship, but the sound wasn’t quite right either. It sounded like… No, it wasn’t an engine. It sounded like Angel when she ran on the patch of dirt, back home in their backyard. There was a pattern to it. She spun on her heels, and her heart stuttered in her chest as her eyes widened when she caught sight of an alabaster Ursa, running top-speed in her direction, its icy-blue eyes staring right at her and rising a cloud of dust in its wake.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Yang promptly sprinted away from the Grimm with renewed energy, feeling like she was running for her life, now.

The sound of the Ursa’s paws on the ground only grew louder and louder as the ground started to shake behind her, and when she chanced a glance over her shoulder, there was a cold determination in the far-too-close blue eyes of the beast.

“Shit shit shit shit shi-” she was yelling now, running as fast as her legs could take her, before taking a sharp turn right around the next tall palm tree’s trunk.

She jumped over the dilapidated wooden fence that stood in the middle of nowhere, probably before it had been surrounding someone’s property, but now it was only dust here, and Yang heard the fence broke in pieces when the Ursa rammed through it.

It didn’t even slowed it down. Skidding in the dirt as she took another sharp turn, Yang sprinted again, her heart pounding in her chest as she could see the old shack that stood behind the Belladonna household, and she hoped she could reach the house before the Ursa could-

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when something big and heavy tackled her to the ground, but instead of letting her slide in the dirt, the Ursa only gathered Yang between its paws and it curled around her, rolling around in the dirt as it protected her.

The Ursa let out a low, deep grunt when they finally stopped, releasing her, but before she could stand, the beast dropped on top of her, its sheer weight pinning her down, and all she could do was shriek and try to kick or punch it off of her. In vain.

////////////

In his office, Ghira sighed as he straightened his back, rubbing his eyes. Closing the file on his desk, he took the cup of tea that Kali had left on his desk before rising from his chair and moving to the window, but he interrupted his sip as his attention was caught by the sight in front of him.

Right in front of his window, a couple of paces away, was something he recognised as one of Weiss’s Grimm, an Ursa, if his memory was right. Sea Feilong were the kind of Grimm that lurked around Menagerie, so the other kinds were a bit blurry in his memory. But what really got his attention were the legs poking from under it, and he recognised the leather-brown boots of Yang as they kicked helplessly against the side of the Grimm, only managing to make it yawn as it stayed there.

Probably feeling him stare, the Ursa turned its head towards the window he stood in front of, the beast blinking lazily, before it laid its head down on its front paws, and Yang’s legs stopped kicking, defeated.

With an amused smile, Ghira sipped his tea.

 

****

 

Propped up in one of the trees near the house, she could see in the distance Yang’s fate, and she sighed, shaking her head. Moving through the branches, she kept close attention to her surroundings, searching for Weiss. Or Baxter.

She saw him going towards the beach, and she wanted to follow him, but then she saw Yang going away towards the lands, and she had hesitated, and decided that height would be the key to see Weiss coming.

And she did. As she kept moving in her tree, she finally saw the Beowolf running her way, head already up and staring straight at her.

Fine. She maybe had moved too much and it heard her.

But what she hadn’t expected was for the Grimm to jump up, without an ounce of hesitation, and used it claws to climb in the tree, fast, faster that she could, and she jumped away, using a shadow to cover more distance, but before she could reach the palm tree, she heard the Grimm jump, too.

Instead of trying to climb up, Blake crouched as soon as her feet met the smooth bark of the palm tree, before jumping back towards the Beowolf, visibly startling it as she twisted to slip between its paws. As the Grimm hooked its claws in the palm tree, it looked back over its shoulder, and Blake barely had the time to use a shadow to break her landing.

And so, she hit the ground running, gritting her teeth at the thought that she had left her weapon in her luggage. Yang had given her a weird look when she had seen her store it there before they left, and she only shrugged. They never knew what was going to happen.

She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that the Grimm was already on her heels, and she huffed, smiling helplessly. Something big and powerful for Yang, and something fast and agile for her. Classic Weiss.

Using the close-together patch of palm trees there, Blake jumped up and used the trunk to change direction, hearing the beast skidding behind her, but she could still feel it close.

She wondered how long she could run away from it.

 

****

 

The sand felt burning hot against her naked feet, for she had pulled off her shoes when she had stepped on the beach, and she could hear Angel and the Boarbatusk playing behind her as she stared out at the sea, away on the horizon, where the sky and water met in a blurry line. The waves softly washing in front of her was a rhythmic, soothing noise, one she was glad to hear again.

She had missed this place. But now… it wasn’t the same.

She stepped in the water to sooth the burning on her feet, the fresh water feeling heavenly against her skin. Birds were squawking in the distance, the premise of the next arrival of a boat at the harbour, and the soft breeze blew, gently blowing the skirt of her sundress and making it whisper against her skin.

This place was filled with memories. The beach, where she and Ruby had walked along numerous times in their midnight stroll, when they both couldn’t sleep. Where they had sat to talk. To kiss.

She remembered the night of Blake and Yang’s wedding, when it was so late that the horizon was paling, she and Ruby were still up. They had ditched the festivities to find somewhere they could be alone, and they stranded here, on the beach, but a long way from the house, where the beach finished in a rocky side, with the barrage of trees and bushes behind them. The noises of the party were so very faint, an echo of a laugh or an exclamation sometimes reaching their ears as they had stripped naked for a midnight bath, alone together in their peaceful part of the beach, the reflection of the shattered moon on the water only disturbed by the waves as Ruby had held her closely.

They had made love there, too. A little honeymoon of their own.

She was brought back to reality when something bumped against her calves, and she looked around just in time to see Angel, who was the one bumping against her, sprinting away before pulling the break and skidding in the sand, before turning back in front of the Boarbatusk, and she could see its small tail wiggling as it snorted, pushing the dog with the side of its tusk.

It made her smile to see them, although her smile didn’t stay long.

Up until now, she had avoided to dwell on the past, avoiding Ruby’s memories, avoiding to think past and compare before and after the war. Thinking of Ruby brought pain. And she was just so tired to be hurt.

Angel had always done a marvelous job at keeping her mind from straying, for the dog usually could feel when she was spacing out. But she wanted the time here to be a vacation for everyone. Including Angel.

And so, she shook her head and decided to return to her original task; finding Baxter. He was, after all, the one who had took her scroll. But sending one of her Grimm at him was maybe a bit rough, as she could only imagine how Blake and Yang were fairing with their own, and so, clearing her throat slightly, she decided to walk along the beach, shoes in hand, with Angel and the Boarbatusk playing as they slowly kept pace with her, water splashing around her ankles.

But her mind kept drifting off, the smallest thing enough to bring back memories. No matter how hard she tried to avoid it, no matter how much she tried to think of something else, the memories only kept flooding her mind, and soon she stepped out of the water to sit on a fallen tree trunk, the surface smooth as it had washed off on the beach, hidden from the sun in the shade of the palm tree leaves. She dropped her shoes in the sand as she leaned her elbows on her knees, her head hung low, and she let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.

The bushes behind her rustled softly, and she didn’t need to look back to know who it was.

“Are you okay, Weiss?”

Baxter’s voice was soft and quiet as she heard him stalk closer, and she opened her eyes as she hummed, smiling a bit when she met his eyes.

“Hi,” she greeted simply.

The boy smiled too, a bit nervous, but when Weiss only looked back at the sea he shifted, before sitting beside her on the fallen tree trunk.

“I, um,” Baxter started after a moment, gaining her attention as he fidgeted for a second before reaching into his short’s pocket. “I was stalking you from the bushes. I thought you were angry at me because I stole your scroll. Here.”

He extended it to her and she looked at the device for a moment before taking it, and she turned it in her hands with a small sigh before returning it in her dress’s pocket.

“Of course I’m not angry at you, Baxter. I know your intentions were good. The three of you.”

Her voice was quiet, barely above a murmur as she kept her eyes away, and she saw Baxter throw a twig for Angel to fetch, the Boarbatusk trotting happily behind the dog.

“They said they were worried about you,” the boy reported, as quiet as her. “You’ve been very quiet ever since you arrived. They said you were too quiet.”

It made her hum again as she felt her shoulders sag a bit, and she cast her eyes down on the sand, moving her foot back and forth, creating a small trench.

“Yes, well. This place… I have too many memories that I want to forget attached to it.”

“About Ruby?” Baxter asked, watching what she was doing. “I miss her too. But I don’t think forgetting them is the right thing to do.”

“You know how much I loved her,” she breathed. “How much I... Every time I think about her… it hurts. It hurts so much.”

“And it’s okay, Weiss. It should. Like you said, you loved her, and she’s gone.”

She looked up at his as he threw a small pebble he had found in the water, smiling when Angel jumped in the water to fetch it, but when he looked back at her there was strength in his eyes, and she wondered shortly how such a thing could be in a boy this young.

“When my mom died, Mom, and I mean Yang, told me that it was alright to cry when it was hurting so much. She told me she had lost her mom too when she was about my age. And when I asked her when it would stop hurting, even then, she didn’t have an answer for me.”

He paused for a second, furrowing his brows in thoughts before nodding to himself as he turned a bit more towards her.

“I talked a lot with Gramma and Grandpa about it,” he continued. “About loss, about… death in general. Even more during the war. And I came to realise that, in the end…”

He sighed as he bit his lip, using a twig to draw something in the sand before continuing.

“If Ruby never comes back… then those memories are the only thing left of her. And only you can live them, now. Those memories, they hurt, but don’t they hurt in a good way? They hurt because they’re good memories right? Because, in that moment, you were happy, right?”

Her throat squeezed tight, she only nodded for she was unable to let out a single sound, and Baxter nodded too, continuing his drawing.

“Then, I think you should embrace them instead of running away. Isn’t that what we do to the people we love? Embrace them?”

“But-” her voice was only a croak, and Baxter looked up, smiling softly.

“I know it hurts, Weiss. I know it will continue to hurt. But, someday, you’ll be glad you kept those memories instead of running away from them. Because, in a way, Ruby will still be here.”

He brought a hand up to his chest and lightly patted the space over his heart as he offered a reassuring smile, and he didn’t seem surprised when she slid closer to hug him tightly, her eyes welled up to the brim, and he wordlessly closed his arms around her as she sniffled.

“Can I cry?”

“Of course you can. It’s okay to cry when it hurts.”

And she buried her face in his neck, the dams breaking and letting out their waters.

Yang was right. Baxter was going to grow into such a great man, one day.

She didn’t know how long she cried, but Baxter held her all the while, strong and firm against her, but slowly, gradually, the pain in her chest faded as she was dimly aware of something wet being pressed against her arm. A quiet whine gave her the answer before she could even look, and after a sharp intake of air, she pulled away from the boy, who offered a small smile, before she turned to the worried mismatched eyes staring at her.

Angel was standing in front of her with her tail wagging nervously, the dog’s head tilted slightly to the side as her standing ear was perked tall on her head, and Weiss huffed as she wiped her face with the back of her hand, resting the other on top of Angel’s head.

“I’m okay, baby,” she smiled to the dog, sniffing again. “I’m fine now.”

But the dog propped her forelegs up on the trunk and proceeded to lick the tears away on her face, and it made both her and Baxter laugh as, whatever she said or do, Angel never relented.

A sudden crashing noise made them jump and stare at the origin of the noise, and at the same time, they heard a feminine voice grunt before there was a loud rustle in the bushes, very soon followed by a dark form being projected in the air before rolling around in the sand, dark long hair sprawled around as sand was thrown up in the air and raining all over.

Blake spitted a mouthful of sand as she stumbled to get on her feet, ready to sprint again as the snow-white Beowolf jumped out of the bushes too, but her golden eyes fell on them and the faunus paused for a second, catching her breath for a moment as the Grimm sat on its haunches.

“Hey,” Blake smoothly let out, glancing at the Beowolf shortly before standing.

“Hi,” Baxter smiled in return.

Before they could say anything else, Angel suddenly left Weiss and went straight to the Beowolf, the Boarbatusk trotting as it followed the dog, and the tall ears of the taller Grimm stood up when Angel laid on her forelegs, her tail wagging widely. But as Angel was gone, Blake could see Weiss’s face, could see her red eyes as she was still wiping her face, with both hands, this time.

“Weiss? What happened?” Blake instantly stepped closer, worry clear in her eyes.

The feline faunus kneeled in front of her, looking over her to make sure she wasn’t injured, but Baxter smiled as she glanced at him.

“We talked,” the boy offered as a response.

“But you cried,” Blake countered as her frown deepened, still looking over her.

“It got deep.”

Baxter shrugged one shoulder as Blake only raised a single eyebrow while she looked at him, but before she could say something more, Weiss gently took her hand and squeezed it, earning her attention back.

“I’m fine, Blake,” she assured softly. “Promise.”

The faunus’ expression softened considerably at this, her shoulders relaxing, and Blake even offered a gentle smile as she nodded.

“Tell me later?”

Weiss nodded and Blake did too, again, holding her gaze for a moment more before moving to kiss the back of her hand, and instantly her ears fell flat on her head as Blake’s face scrunched up.

“You wiped Angel’s spit with your hands,” the faunus mumbled before vigorously rubbing her sleeve against her lips, making gagging noises all the while.

Without adding anything else, Blake stood, shedding her shirt and leaving her in her dark top before quickly getting rid of her boots as she made her way to the water, and dived under before neither she nor Baxter could say anything.

On the side, they heard a slow thumping, added with a rustle, and they saw Yang emerge from a bush, soon followed by the alabaster Ursa that walked lazily with her.

“I’ve been _crushed_ under this thing for the past half hour!” the blonde accused, setting her hands on her hips as she stared hardly at Weiss. “Then suddenly, it just stands and pushed me all the way here!”

She sighed before padding closer, dropping on the trunk beside them as the Ursa sat on the beach, watching as Angel ran around with the Beowolf and the Boarbatusk.

“Do you even know how much it weighs?” Yang continued with a sigh as the blonde stretched a bit, turning a bit to her. “It’s heavy as fu- Hey, you okay?”

It amazed her how Yang’s voice could change in the blink of an eye, passing from complete annoyance to soft concern so fast it made her raise her eyebrows, but, with a huff as she glanced at Baxter, she only nodded, smiling.

“I am. Blake just asked the same thing.”

“Blake?” the blonde repeated, glancing around in search of her wife.

“She went for a swim,” Baxter pointed at the sea, and Yang looked over this way.

Almost on cue, Blake’s head emerged from underwater with a puff of air, and the faunus slowly made her way back out of the water, wringing her hair on the side to get rid of as much water as she could, and Yang’s mouth hung open as Blake got closer, suddenly speechless. With a roll of her eyes, Weiss not so discreetly moved her hand to close it.

“That felt good,” Blake sighed as she threw her wetted hair back over her shoulder. “I was all sweaty anyway. I saw you get pancaked, are you okay?” she added, turning to Yang as her golden eyes scanned the blonde’s frame quickly.

It made Yang scoff slightly, throwing her hands in the air as she was falsely upset.

“You saw? And you didn’t help?”

“I was getting chased by big bad wolf over there,” the faunus pointed at the white Beowolf that was running around with Angel, playfully growling along with the dog.

Yang raised a single eyebrow as she looked over them, before turning to Weiss, her brows drawn together.

“Aren’t you tired? I mean… You don’t use them often, nowadays, and there’s three of them.”

She sighed wearily as she nodded, starting to feel an ache between her shoulder blades as she rolled her shoulders.

“Yeah… I might need a nap.”

 

****

 

“You’re going to miss all the fun!” Yang pouted slightly, hefting up the bag she was carrying on her shoulder while Weiss was still stuffing a towel inside.

“I’m just finishing helping with lunch, then we’ll be right with you,” Blake rolled her eyes. “So you go ahead. And make sure Weiss doesn’t get sunburned too badly.”

“Not a chance,” the smaller woman grumbled as she was already throwing yet another bottle of sunscreen in the bag, before closing it with a satisfied nod.

“Don’t let Yang prank Weiss too much,” she continued as she turned to Baxter, the boy already shirtless with a towel around his neck.

He gave her a thumb up as the blonde scoffed, mildly offended at her wife’s accusation.

“Why do you think I’ll be pulling pranks on her? I want Weiss to know how to swim as much as you, I’ll have you know!”

“Just to be sure,” Blake winked at Yang, who only raised her eyes to the sky with a slight shake of her head.

“All set,” Weiss brushed her hand over Yang’s arm to gain her attention, and the blonde turned to smile at her warmly. “But do come along soon,” she continued as she turned to Blake, moving closer to hug her. “You know you’re my hundred percent safety risk management.”

The faunus snorted at that, returning the hug tightly as she kissed her temple, and when she pulled away, she noticed the red straps tied around the smaller woman’s neck, pocking out of the collar of her sundress, and she moved a hand closer to touch the fabric, furrowing her brows slightly.

“Red?” she asked quietly, earning Weiss’s attention.

“Oh, yes,” the smaller woman let out in a breath as she looked down at herself. “You know I don’t have any swimsuit, and… Ruby and I are almost the same size, so…”

She hummed, caressing her shoulder soothingly as she nodded, and gave her a smile when pale-blue eyes looked up again.

“Well, red always did look good on you.”

“Okay, let’s move people!” Yang was saying behind Weiss, pushing Baxter out of the house. “I can’t wait to dive in fresh water, so let’s get this train moving!”

The blonde wrapped an arm around Weiss’s waist as she came back and twisted to exchange places, before kissing Blake quickly on the lips, and bulldozed the poor smaller woman outside, followed by an excited Angel. Blake could hear Weiss and Yang playfully argue outside and she went to the window to watch them go, seeing the blonde hefting up the bad on her shoulder again as she extended her left hand for Weiss to take, and it didn’t take long for Weiss to lace their fingers together as she laughed at something Yang said while Baxter was running in front of them with Angel.

She let out a soft sigh, a content smile on her lips as, yet again, the same warmth spreading in her chest as she watched them go. The sun was catching in Yang’s hair, making it shine like gold as the pair stopped for a second for Weiss to tie the blonde’s hair up. Then, she saw Yang turn around and lean over, and pecked Weiss on the tip of the nose before they resumed their trek. But she could see Weiss’s bright smile even with the distance.

Right now, Blake was happy. She wanted to stay forever like this.

A hand gently grasping her elbow brought her attention back to her mother, who was kindly smiling at her.

“You were away,” Kali said quietly before following her line of sight. “But not too much, this time.”

She only smiled in response as she returned her attention on the pair that was turning behind a few palm trees, slowly walking up the beach before disappearing behind the few bushes there. At that, Blake turned on her heels, setting a light kiss on her mother’s cheek before returning to her spot at the kitchen island, but Kali staying at the window for a moment more made her pause and look back, questioning.

Her mother glanced at her with a smile but still returned her attention outside, staring out towards the beach where Weiss and Yang had vanished.

“I was wondering if I had two daughters-in-law, now?”

It made her blink.

“What?”

“Well, I mean, you and Yang seem really close to Weiss, and you sleep in the same room, so I thought…”

Kali shrugged one shoulder slightly, and there wasn’t any trace of judgment or accusation in her voice, only genuine curiosity as she kept her eyes where the pair went, and she didn’t seem to mind when Blake took some time to answer, turning to the food they were preparing.

Truth was, she didn’t know what to say. She had never thought about it before. They had never talked about it either. This, whatever the three of them was having, had just happened and they only let it, because it felt good for all of them.

But they had never really talked about it.

“I… I don’t know,” she finally said, furrowing her brows as she stared at the dish containing the cucumber slices. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Kali repeated, a lot more curious suddenly as she made her way to the kitchen island.

“Yeah, I mean we… haven’t talked about it yet.”

“But you all sleep together, if sleep is the right word.”

“It is,” Blake assured. “We don’t… I mean, Yang and I, we don’t kiss Weiss or… or have sex with her. We sleep together.”

“But you and Yang-” her mother slowly started, narrowing her eyes slightly, trying to understand.

“We still do,” she nodded, taking a seat on a stool near the island. “Without Weiss, of course. It’s like she always knows when we’re, uh… in the mood. She just tells us she’s going to sleep alone for the night.”

It made Kali hum quietly as she nodded slightly, seemingly giving it some more thought as she snapped the lid on the carrots dish, before storing it in the large insulated box that they would bring at the beach.

“But you’re happy? With this… unspoken arrangement?”

It made her huff with a smile, and she took yet another moment to think about it, thinking about the past months as Weiss gradually became as important as Yang in their relationship, but when she looked up at Kali, it was without an ounce of doubt that she nodded.

“I am,” she assured softly.

“Are they happy?”

“They are.”

Kali locked her eyes with her then as she paused, nodding again as she took in a breath.

“Good. It’s all that matters to me, right now.”

 

****

 

“Nearly there, Weiss! Just a bit further!”

The smaller woman was panting, splashing water around a bit as she swam up to Blake’s waiting arms as the faunus imperceptibly stepped back in the water, but at the growing scowl on Weiss’s was a clear hint that she had understood what she was doing. With a smile, she extended her arm out for Weiss to grab onto, which she did with a sigh of relief before climbing all the way to wrap her arms and legs around her.

“Don’t let me go,” the smaller woman panted in her ear, tightening her grip for a second. “I need a break.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. You do deserve a break.”

Weiss relaxed instantly, leaning her cheek on Blake’s shoulder as the faunus gently carried her cargo around as she rubbed Weiss’s back soothingly, letting her catch her breath.

“Swimming is exhausting,” the smaller woman finally mumbled in her ear, one wet hand brushing against her nape as Weiss turned her head the other way to look towards the beach.

“But isn’t it refreshing, thought?”

“Ugh.”

They heard a loud whine and it made Weiss straightening her back as Blake looked towards the source of the noise, which was Angel, stopped with water up to her shoulders and wagging her tail nervously. Only now did it occur to her that the dog had never swum before, and just like her owner, she wasn’t at ease in the water.

Holding herself up just with her legs wrapped around Blake’s waist, Weiss started motioning to Angel with a smile, encouraging.

“Come on Angel! You can do it, we’re not that far!”

A waved gently crashed against the dog’s chest, slightly pushing her back, and Angel whined again, louder this time, and Weiss sighed then, motioning again.

“Come on baby, I’ll catch you!”

It only made the dog more agitated then, anxious that Weiss was somewhere she couldn’t reach, but before Blake could move closer, Yang, who was on the beach and observing the scene, took Angel in her arms and stepped in the water, the dog going still as soon as half her body was underwater. But as they got closer, Angel started wiggling, trying to close the distance as quickly as possible, but Weiss only reached over to calm the dog as Yang was struggling to keep her in her arms.

“You see? I’m okay!” Weiss was cooing in the dog’s ear as she peppered kisses all over her head. “It’s not so bad, is it?”

It only made the blonde chuckle to see them, and to also notice how Blake was bending back to keep as much distance she could between her and the dog.

“How about she swims back to the beach?” Yang suggested to Weiss, who was still giving loud kisses to the dog between cooed words.

The smaller woman petted Angel’s head for a moment before nodding, letting go of the dog, but before Yang went away, the blonde eyed Blake for a second, making her raise a single eyebrow.

“After that, I get Weiss to myself for a while.”

“What?” she objected, protectively closing her arms around the smaller woman still hooked at her. “I got her.”

“But you spent a _whole week_ with her!” the blonde pouted a bit as she was moving away from them. “I want to spend some time with her, too!”

It made her roll her eyes, but before she could say anything else, Weiss jumped from her, and quickly swam the short distance between them and Yang, the blonde pleasantly surprised as she felt Weiss climb her back to wrap her legs around the blonde’s waist, and Yang pulled her tongue at her, playful.

It made her roll her eyes again as she walked out of the water, close enough to see the big splashed Angel was making at her attempt of swimming, but she only went to laid down beside Kali on the couple of deck chairs they had brought along.

“Isn’t it sad that you get to spend time with your old mother?” Kali opened one eye to look at her, a playful smirk on her lips as she had listened to the conversation.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Blake only said back, reaching over to poke her mother’s cheek before settling in the chair. “You’re not that old. And I love spending time with you.”

Kali chuckled quietly as she sighed contentedly, letting the sun dry her skin as she closed her eyes as she could hear the quiet conversation between Weiss and Yang, until she realised that someone was missing. She glanced around quickly.

“Where’s Bax?”

“Oh, he went to fetch his friend,” her mother only vaguely waved to their right before settling in again, basking in the sun.

“A friend?” she repeated, suddenly interested. “From school?”

“Yes. He is really eager for you to meet her.”

“Really?”

They heard the sound of shifting sand as someone walked closer, the nearby bushes rustling, and Baxter appeared, wearing a disappointed frown on his face.

“She wasn’t home for the day,” the boy sighed as he dropped beside Kali’s chair, directly on the sand.

Kali lazily moved a hand to drop it on top of the boy’s head, gently ruffling his hair as he complained a bit because it was tied up.

“Poor thing. Maybe she’ll be home tomorrow,” her mother offered gently.

Baxter hummed as he was retying his hair, and Blake was sitting up on her deck chair, interested in this mysterious friend, but she noticed the quiet disappointment on Baxter’s face completely change into one of suspicion as he straightened his back, staring out at the sea.

“There’s something wrong with the water,” he let out, his voice serious as he stood.

Turning her head, she realised what Baxter meant when she realised the water had suddenly pulled back, revealing a couple of shells hidden in the sand and leaving a stunned Yang as Weiss was still in her arms as she had water to her knees, now, instead of up to her shoulders. Blake stood, too, along with her mother, and she scanned the line on the horizon, trying to find the cause of this, but she couldn’t see anything at this height, and so, she quickly climbed in the tallest palm tree to see farther away.

The sun was blaring in her eyes when she reached the top, and she had to shield her eyes with her hand to look away as she saw Weiss and Yang returning to the beach, and she could see, far away in the line of the horizon, some kind of ripple in it. But even after squinting her eyes, she couldn’t make anything out, and she suddenly remembered something else.

“Weiss!” she called as she leaned over the tall leave, earning everyone’s attention at the foot of the palm tree. “Use one of your Lancer!”

Instantly, she saw the smaller woman nodding, and with a small glyph came a snow-white Grimm, and it buzzed away in a flash, soon only a small white dot in the distance, and they waited with bated breaths as it circled around a few times… Before a sudden and powerful jet of water broke the waters, hitting the Lancer in one shot.

“What the-” she was mumbling under her breath.

“Sea Feilong!” she heard Weiss shouting, down on the beach.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down, seeing Yang almost shoving Kali, Baxter and Weiss towards the house, and she quickly climbed down, seeing the ripple on the water growing as it got closer, and Angel started barking towards the see, the short fur on her neck and back standing.

She landed heavily with a grunt, barely disturbing the argument that had started between Weiss and Yang.

“What are you doing? Get your dog and go home with Kali and Baxter! Come on!”

“I’m not leaving you with this thing, it’s huge!”

“But-”

“Guys!”

The pair turned to her as they could hear the water starting to rush back to the beach, the ripple big now as they could see something dark underneath the layer of water, and Angel only barked again, slowly but steadily stepping back.

“We have other things to do! Besides, you should be the one staying back!” Blake said, staring at Yang as she said it.

“What? Why?”

“You don’t have your weapon, and their scales are thick, you won’t be able to do anything but kill yourself without your weapon.”

“But Weiss-”

“You can use your summons, right?” she asked, turning to the smaller woman as Weiss was staring at her with big, wide eyes.

“Y-yes.”

“Good. I can distract it with my shadows.”

Before they could say anything else, Yang turned on her heels, grabbed Angel by the collar and dragged the dog with her towards the house, and she turned towards the sea, feeling her heart thumping in her chest as her hands were shaking.

A Sea Feilong this close to the island? She couldn’t remember something like this happening. It must have stranded in the waters, before being drawn to the island. But to see it with her own eyes…

She clenched her fists, forgetting that they were trembling as she did. Anyone could have been on this part of the beach. Did it attack somewhere else? She would have to check with her father. Maybe that’s why he was working so much these days.

She glanced at Weiss, standing a couple of paces on her right, seeing the smaller woman with her eyes drilled to the shadowy figure lurking underwater, a serious expression on her face, but she could see Weiss’s left hand closing and opening repeatedly, probably thinking that she had something missing as she was going to fight without a weapon.

Weiss must have felt her stare, because she turned to look at her, and their eyes locked for a second, and she realised that Weiss was scared. She was scared beyond words, shaking with her feet firmly planted in the sand in nothing but their swimsuit and weaponless, about to fight a monster that plagued the seas surrounding Menagerie.

She feared for a moment that Weiss would freeze in front of it as she remembered her saying that she wasn’t ready to go back on the field, that she would get injured or worst, and for a second, she was tempted to tell her to go, to agree with Yang that Weiss needed to stay back. But she couldn’t kill this thing alone.

“You ready?” she whispered to her, wondering if Weiss would hear.

But Weiss was brave. Braver than she could ever imagine. And so, the smaller woman only curled her hands into tight fists and took a sharp breath in, the wavering in her eyes steadying until steel sharp resolve settled in them.

“Yes.”

“Okay. Let’s do this,” she let out, returning her attention forward.

At the same time, the water broke and the boney mask covering the Grimm’s head finally appeared, and they could feel when the beast finally touched the ground as it trembled under their feet, and the Feilong rose high, its long whiskers twitching as it considered them with its burning red eyes.

It has been months the last time they fought, but the instinct never really faded as they both jumped to the side, the Grimm attack faster than the eye could see as it slammed right where they were a moment ago. Rolling on her shoulder, she was on her feet in no time and ready to face whatever attack was next. But the beast hadn’t chosen her as its target as it turned to follow Weiss, and she quickly sprinted towards the Grimm, an idea popping in her mind. She had to give Weiss time to summon whatever she would use against the Feilong, and she quite vividly remembered when Sun ‘rode’ one of this kind, so many years ago.

And so, she jumped on the Grimm’s back and ran up along its long body, earning the Feilong’s attention as it stopped following Weis to twist on itself and look at her. She saw the two long whiskers on each side of its jaw twitching, and she could hear it. The sound of water rushing.

“Oh, f-”

Before she could finish, three long shards of ice found purchase against the back of the boney mask, and with a hiss, the Grimm sharply looked back towards Weiss down on the beach, breaking the shards as it did, but she smiled, thanking whatever Gods was watching over her as the shards were placed in the right way for her to climb on top of the head.

She only had to hurry as the gills on each side of the Grimm’s head shivered, and it lifted one of its arms out of the water, spraying some around as it hissed again, the gills shivering, and the Feilong rose, towering over Weiss. Blake managed to get a couple of paces forward before she slipped on the wet scales, and she barely got the time to grab one of the spikes that erupted from the Grimm’s spine.

With the help of her shadows, she quickly climbed up on the head just as she heard the rush of water again, and as she saw Weiss set a protective glyph in front of her, she jumped, her vision narrowing on the one of the whiskers that were twitching.

The powerful stream of water that the Feilong had initially targeted Weiss with was suddenly sent to the side, back into the sea as Blake was dangling from a whisker, before her feet found purchase against the scaled form of the Grimm, and she pulled as hard as she could, leaving its soft neck and underjaw wide open for Weiss to hit.

And as if she was reading her mind, two other shards sank there, plunging deep, but it wasn’t enough.

The Grimm shook its head violently, and her hand slipped on the slippery surface of the whisker, projecting her towards the ground with that much force that her breath left her lungs and left her helpless. But something as white as snow rammed into her and curled around her, blocking everything from view as she heard crashing, and the reverberation of hitting the ground, even through whatever Weiss had sent to her, was enough to make her dizzy for a moment.

“Blake!”

Weiss’s anxious cry resonated in her ears as one of Weiss’s Grimm uncurled from around her, and she realised it was a Beowolf as she also noticed the deep gash on the ground as a few palm trees had fallen on their wake. She stumbled to her feet, the taste of iron in her mouth indicating that she had maybe bit her cheek in the shock, and she only had to shake her head to get rid of the dizziness.

“I’m fine!” she shouted, making sure Weiss wouldn’t worry.

She heard a handful of icy shards zip, heard a few break against the hard scales and other cut deep, and she hurried back to the beach along with the Beowolf, just in time to see Weiss, in the end of her twist to bring more velocity, bringing down the large glowing sword on the Feilong’s arm, and neatly cutting it clean.

As the Grimm hollered in pain, the tip of the blade sank deep in the sand as the arm was already dissolving into thin air, and she could see Weiss panting as the smaller woman looked up, scanning her frame in search of injuries.

“I’m fine,” she said again, patting her shoulder before helping her pull the blade out. “Good job, by the way.”

“It’s not over yet,” Weiss only commented, returning her attention to the Grimm.

Taking the hilt with both hands, Weiss swung in a wide arm in front of her, but the large sword didn’t even leave a dent against the hard scales of its belly.

“It’s no use,” Blake reminded, resting a hand on Weiss’s arm. “We had to go for the soft spots.”

The tip of the blade lowered to the ground as the smaller woman was panting beside her, and as she glanced at her she could see the muscles of her arm taut, straining to keep the sword up, and she remembered how Weiss was already exhausted before this Grimm happened.

She hoped nobody would end up injured. Or at least, not too much.

Her attention was brought back by the Feilong bringing its other arm out of the water as it hissed, the sound low and deep, and it swiped the sands of the beach with it, claws first. But Weiss had already set a glyph up in the air and out of reach, and, using her shadows, she got there, Weiss still panting beside her.

“We have to make it bend its head, so I can strike at its neck,” Weiss managed between breaths, pushing back a lock that stuck to her sweat-covered forehead.

Looking over the beast in front of her, she nodded as she took her breath, feeling a sharp pang of pain in her side.

Now was not the time for a cramp.

“I can probably do that, but I’ll have to be a whole lot of reckless.”

“How reckless?” Weiss asked, glancing at her quickly.

“Like Yang reckless.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

“No, but there’s not much else I can do without a weapon.”

Weiss stayed silent for a moment as the Feilong was distracted by the Beowolf that had caught Blake was now trying to claw at its belly, before she nodded shortly, sending her a glance.

“Okay, but… be careful.”

“I’ll try,” she only huffed. “I need to get higher.”

“Blake-”

“Weiss, I need to get higher,” she insisted, locking her eyes with Weiss.

Down below, the Grimm had slammed its clawed hand right on the Beowolf, and she saw Weiss wince imperceptibly at that, until the smaller woman sighed, returning her attention on the Grimm.

“Fine. But if you get hurt, I will be _very_ upset.”

“I know.”

And a trail of glyph was set in front of her, climbing higher in the sky as the Feilong rose to its full height again, hissing, and as she climbed up, she realised that Weiss had followed her, but she didn’t have time to question her as the Feilong set its fiery eyes on them, its gills shivering as if to warm them.

Higher. She needed to get higher.

If she fell from high enough and grabbed one of its whiskers, it would be enough for it to expose its neck, leaving the perfect time to strike for Weiss. She just had to hope that luck was on her side.

And so, reaching the last glyph, she jumped, head first, hearing the breath Weiss took as she did.

The wind roared in her ears as she fell, along with the blood rushing in her veins. She could count her stars as the Grimm, curiously, tilted its head to the side as it watch her fall, almost _asking_ her to pull its whisker it seems, and when she got closer, she firmly grabbed it.

The head of the Grimm had been out of the water for a moment, under the sun’s merciless rays, and all the wetness that was on it earlier was traded by the dry, hard feeling of the smooth scales there, but her grip was firm, and she sent the head of the Grimm down as it yowled in pain.

Weiss didn’t lose time on this short window as she jumped too, twisting on herself to add power to her swing, and the large, heavy blade bit in the soft flesh under the boney mask that was supposed to protect its nape.

But it wasn’t enough, the skin thick even though there were no hard scales, and she heard the soft breath Weiss let out as she glanced at her, panic in her eyes.

Something rammed into her and knocked the breath out of her lungs as she was projected to the side, but she had to shake it off and get back there, and she used a couple of shadows to swing back towards the Feilong that was presently trying to shake Weiss off of it as it only arm couldn’t reach it without lowering its head. She could see Weiss hanging on her blade for dear life as she was tossed from one side and the other.

“Blake!”

She looked to her right, recognising Yang’s voice, and she easily spotted her as the blonde was running along the beach, waving something in her hand for Blake to see. It was… Gambol Shroud. Yang had remembered she had brought it along!

She extended her hand as she jumped from another shadow, and Yang threw it as hard as she could, and she had to let herself fall a bit for her to be able to catch it as it was soaring in the air, but she did.

Her grip was assured on the hilt, her fingers finding the familiar spots with practiced ease as she felt like her weapon had never left her hand since the end of the war.

“Thanks!”

She fired as she threw her weapon, the silk of the ribbon soft and smooth in her hand, and the blade bit right between the two plates of the boney mask, and she pulled on the ribbon with all her might, swinging in a large, wide arc, but gaining enough speed to soar in the air, pulling harshly on the ribbon to take her weapon back and, as she made it shift into its sword form, aimed carefully as she was falling down again.

She landed in a loud clanking as she pushed with all her weight on top of Weiss’s sword, making it sink deeper in the Feilong’s flesh and sending sparks everywhere, and Weiss covered her eyes to protect them.

But it wasn’t enough.

This time, the Grimm was _really_ mad.

It used its tail to try and dislodge them, twisting and snarling and slamming its tail around so violently that Blake and Weiss could only hang on and hope for the best, and they could make out, very faintly though, the sound of someone yelling, and it wasn’t hard to imagine Yang threatening this damn thing to crueler end if it ever hurt one of them, and as the beast launched forward, they saw its tail slamming against Yang, and projected her back with so much force that she was gone in the blink of an eye.

“Yang!”

Both of them had called for the blonde out of worry, and it took no more than two seconds for Weiss’s face to change, coming from worry to anger in a flash as a large glyph spread over the Feilong’s head, and Blake’s eyes widened when she saw an Ursa coming out of it, before falling freely for a couple of seconds. Then, it fell on the boney mask, and it clawed at it as it slipped along the smooth surface, before its claws hooked in the thin slits of its nostrils.

The Feilong yowled again as the weight of the Ursa hanging on the very tip of its mask was making it bend its head, but the Ursa never relented, hanging on as long as it could, and they heard something explode, somewhere on the beach.

The Grimm sudden stillness made them look up, and all that was loft of the explosion was a crater on the beach, but they could see the gills on each side of the head shivering again as the Feilong rose to its full height, seemingly about to destroy the Ursa that was hanging right against its mouth, and the scales under them felt like it was moving as they stared in horror as the Grimm extended two large, translucent wings. Until they heard a very familiar, very angry yell.

Both her and Weiss looked up in sync, only to see a flaming Yang going down on her momentum, her right, prosthetic arm raised as her eyes looked as red as the Grimm’s, and Blake had the presence of mind of planting her sword in the Feilong’s neck to give the blonde’s space as Weiss returned to her previous position of dangling from the hilt of her sword, and just before the Feilong could take flight, Yang came down with herculean force right on the glowing blade.

It made the large Grimm stumble as it growled, but Yang raised her prosthetic again, her blood-red eyes fixated on her goal, and punched Weiss’s sword again, and again, with so much force that it made the blade sink a considerable amount of inches deeper, and with one final strike, it went through.

There was a moment of stillness as it was suddenly so silent around them, the wind blowing peacefully around them, until the large body of the Feilong started to fall, and them alongside it.

They landed in the water, the serpentine body of the Feilong slowly dissolving in the air. They weren’t far from the ground, but as they were exhausted… It took her a moment to move after she fell in the water, and she was glad that Weiss had fallen closer to the ground. She was surely so tired, Blake didn’t know if she would have the strength to swim back alone if she was too far away. She hoped that Yang was alright, too. The blonde had taken a nasty hit, even if it would make her stronger afterwards. She could still get hurt. They all learned it the hard way. She remembered seeing Yang fall close to Weiss, before she went underwater.

The feeling of her weapon slipping out of her grasp suddenly shook the stillness from her limbs, and she could feel herself start chocking as she gripped the handle of her weapon, before starting swimming up, urging her body to go faster, fighting the _need_ to take a breath, until… until…

She finally broke the water, gasping for air as she breathed a bit of water too, and she coughed as she looked around, moved by the waves as she tried to find Weiss and Yang. She realised she wasn’t as close to the ground as she thought. Probably she had been drawn away with the current.

“Yang!” her voice was raw and weak after the coughing fit she had gone through and the sheer exhaustion, but she still started to swim back towards the beach. “Weiss!”

She heard someone calling her name, seemingly so far away to her ears, soon followed by another voice, as far as the first, but it was enough to send a wave of relief washing over her. They were fine. They were safe. They were okay.

But the relief made the urgency falter, that had been pumping her last reserve of energy to make her swim back stop, and she found it hard to move, her limbs feeling so heavy as it pulled her underwater. But she heard her name, called again and again, and so she continued on, fighting to keep her mouth above the water as she could see a white dot coming closer.

She could hear it buzzing as it got closer, and she smiled despite her exhaustion, holding an arm out as she could fight it anymore.

She felt the Lancer’s legs wrap around her arm as it pulled her head out of the water, before dragging her towards the ground, as quickly as it could as she was limply hanging like this, and she could see Yang, in the water up to her waist and waiting as Weiss was kneeling in the sand. But as she got closer, the Lancer’s flight, that has been perfect up until now, was wavering, its wings suddenly struggling to drag her as it stranded a bit to one side before going to the other, before it vanished altogether, dropping her so closer to the goal.

She heard Yang’s worried call as she fell again, this time finding no energy in her to try and swim, but she had thought of taking a deep breath, and it took only a matter of seconds to feel something pulling her arm as she was brought to the surface again.

“I got you,” Yang’s warm voice was panting in her ear as she laid limply in her arms while the blonde was swimming back as fast as she could. “I got you, Blake, don’t worry.”

She felt Yang breathe out a sigh of relief when her foot touched the sandy ground, and Yang carried her as long as she could, only managing to drop her beside Weiss before the blonde fell on her back beside her, and there they were.

The three of them, nearly passed out of exhaustion, panting as they laid on the beach, their feet still in the water as the waves pushed them back a bit.

She managed to turn her head to the side, glancing over Yang quickly.

“Are you okay?” she asked in a breath.

The blonde only nodded in response, and she lolled her head to the other side, doing the same for Weiss.

“And you?”

“I might pass out in a minute, but yeah.”

She nodded then, returning her gaze to the clear blue sky above as she tried to find her breath again, and she closed her eyes for a moment, repeating the same thing she had been over the months.

“Yang’s okay, Weiss’s okay, I’m okay,” she murmured, finding it soothing to say it out loud. “We’re okay. We’re fine.”

“We’re okay,” Yang said again, and she felt the blonde searching blindly for her hand.

“We’re fine,” Weiss finished, doing the same.

They sighed in synch, squeezing the hands they were holding as they could hear, in the distance, voice shouting as the villagers were realising the fight was over. Soon, the beach would be flooded with people. But they didn’t have the energy to move.

“Anyway, shout out for Blake for making me buy this swimsuit,” Yang suddenly let out with a huff, and they could hear the smile in her voice. “After everything, it’s still holding everything in place nicely. I can kick a Sea Feilong’s ass while still looking fabulous doing it.”

It made Weiss snort loudly before she started chuckling, and soon enough they were all laughing hysterically, the shock of the fight finally wearing off, and it’s like that that Baxter found them, a few minutes later.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaaaaack!! :D Sorry for the awfully long wait. I had a problem with my laptop and couldn't work on this for a while, but then I worked a bit more on Parallel, and uh... Yeah.
> 
> But I'm back! Yay!
> 
> So as I said in the previous chapter, there's going to have a part 3 for this, as this is part 2... Because what happened? I kept adding to it, AGAIN!
> 
> So here it is, again I'm really sorry for the wait. I can't tell you when I'll post part 3, but this time, I can ASSURE YOU that it's going to be the last chapter for Life Support.

Ghira had been the one to come and fetch them, getting them home and wrapping them in warm blankets as he did, one that Yang assuredly kicked off as soon as he was out of sight as they were sitting on the couch. But she at least went to fetch a change of clothes for them.

Weiss had passed out somewhere between when Baxter found them and when Ghira came, and she was leaning in the corner of the couch, wrapped tightly in her blanket as Angel was laying sideways on the smaller woman’s lap, licking her chin sporadically as the dog seemingly guarded her owner.

Kali kept fretting over them, trying to make sure they were really, truly alright as Ghira was gone, alerting the coast guards that there had been an attack and asking for them to keep their eyes open. Baxter, on the other hand, was relating everything that happened, for he had hid and watched the fight, earning both Blake and Yang’s reproving stare.

“It’s the first time a Sea Feilong reaches the island,” Kali kept saying, a bit dazed by the events. “I can’t remember this happening before. What would we have done if you three weren’t here?”

She didn’t know what to say as she lolled her head to the side, looking at Yang as the blonde was trying to push Angel away so she could dress Weiss with her white sundress, but after a long fight with the dog, she managed it, lifting Weiss a bit to pull the dress down before crouching in front of the smaller woman, who was still unconscious. As Angel returned to her spot on Weiss’s lap, laying her head on her front paws, Yang was looking at Weiss for a moment, before reaching a hand up to gently push back a few bangs that fell in her eyes.

“I’m gonna take a nap,” Yang let out after a moment, her voice weary as she turned to look at Blake, but she still offered a small smile. “I’ll bring Weiss with me. You coming with us?”

For a few seconds she considered her wife, silently, before managing the hold out her hand out of her blanket, and Yang promptly took it, moving closer to her as she kissed her palm gently.

“I’ll be right with you,” Blake murmured, her eyes half closed. “I just need to make sure there weren’t any other attacks, and then I’ll be with you.”

“Okay,” the blonde answered in the same way, squeezing her hand.

Yang smiled softly before moving back to Weiss, but she gently tugged on her hand, silently asking her to get closer, and Yang gracefully did, setting a knee on the couch and resting her right hand on the back of the couch as she kept her left in Blake’s as she softly, carefully kissed her.

She closed her eyes under the soft kiss, feeling Yang press closer when she chased after her lips when they parted, not wanting to let her go just yet as she brought her free hand up, brushing Yang’s cheek with the back of her fingers.

“I’m glad you two are okay,” she breathed against the blonde’s lips, keeping her eyes closed.

“I’m glad you two are okay, too,” Yang huffed quietly, and she could hear the small smile in her voice.

She kissed her again, cupping her cheek as she thumbed her cheekbone, before leaning her forehead against Yang’s, taking a moment to enjoy her wife’s presence a little more, and the blonde didn’t seem to be bothered by that as Yang let out a soft breath, squeezing her hand gently.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Blake asked, keeping her voice hushed.

“You know I am, love. Stop worrying.”

“Okay. Go ahead, then. I’ll be with you shortly.”

The blonde nodded, kissing her one last time before pulling away, and after pushing Angel away again, she carefully gathered Weiss in her arms, and Blake stood as she did, slipping on the shirt and shorts Yang had brought back for her and left on the couch’s armrest. As the blonde was passing in front of her, Blake made her stop for a second to press a kiss on Weiss’s temple, then watched them disappear in the hallway, Angel following very closely.

Ghira came back soon after, and she followed her father to his office as he was reviewing the damage the area had sustained, and she relaxed when there was no casualties. There was, however, a few injured as the powerful jet of water had made a house collapse, but besides that it was only trees and shacks, no other lives had been in danger.

It also seemed like this attack had been the only one of its kind of living memory. An attack that only happened once in a lifetime, as Ghira, too, couldn’t remember any Sea Feilong reaching the island. But he said that his father had seen an attack like this, once, when he had been the Chieftain.

And so, with her mind set at ease, she left her father’s office as she dragged her feet across the hallway, and she closed the door behind her silently as she leaned her back on it, watching for a moment at the sight in front of her.

Yang had thoughtfully untied Weiss’s hair as she had laid her on her back, and the blonde was on her side, trying to not bother her too much as she kept a small distance between them, but Yang had still buried her face in Weiss’s hair as she slept, and had rested a protective arm across the smaller woman’s stomach, and Angel was curled up at the foot of the bed, the dog perking her head at Blake’s entrance.

Pushing herself from the door, Blake dragged her feet to the bed, slipping under the covers carefully, mindful of the two other women, and she pretty much did the same as Yang: snuggling closer against Weiss but not too close as to bother her, and careful as to not pull her hair, she buried her face in a river of ivory, her forehead pressed against Weiss’s temple, and she blindly searched for the smaller woman’s hand as she laced their fingers together and squeezed lightly before draping her other arm as best she could over both Weiss and Yang.

In her sleep, Yang sighed on the other side of the smaller woman, and only now did Yang start snoring quietly.

It made her relax, as it always did.

At the foot of the bed, she felt Angel shift, and when she felt something resting over her leg did Blake look down, noticing that the dog was resting her head on her leg as Angel closed her eyes, and let out a long, deep sigh.

It made her blink. But she let it be as she returned to her previous position, and it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

 

****

 

The next few days were tense as the three tried to relax again, the thought of going to the beach suddenly much less appealing, but they eventually relaxed again, and the next time they went to the beach, Blake brought her weapon along. And Weiss tried to not exert herself again.

But fortunately, nothing happened.

It felt strange to be thrown back in battle like this. Blake still felt her hand itching with the sensation of the handle of her weapon in it. All her limbs were sore for days. It was a sudden wakeup call that, if something happened, she was really, irritatingly out of shape.

She wondered sometimes how long it would have taken them to bring it down, when they were at war. With the four of them.

She wasn’t the only one who seemed to be annoyed at her physical state as she found Yang outside, her hair tied up as she only wore a tank top and short shorts, and she was shadowboxing, her eyes focused right in front of her as she worked on her breathing. She watched her for a moment, feeling one of her ears flicking as she heard Weiss and Kali laughing somewhere in the house, before returning inside and leaving her book on the table, grabbing the first hair tie she could find to tie her hair up, and as she was already wearing her dark tank top and shorts, she went straight back outside, her bare feet padding silently on the wooden porch, then on the dirt.

Lowering on herself, she kept her footing light, following Yang as the blonde shifted from one side to the other, so entirely focused on her forms that she was oblivious to Blake creeping up on her. And with a smirk, Blake jumped on Yang’s back, wrapping her legs around the blonde’s waist and taking hold of her wife’s arms, the metal of her prosthetic hot in the sun. Yang only jumped in surprise, looking up over her shoulder and staring at her with wide eyes.

“Hi,” she smiled smoothly, keeping her grip tight when Yang gave a testing pull. “Do you mind if I join in?”

The blonde raised her eyebrows slightly at that, but it was followed with a smile, her eyes taking a challenging glint, and Yang easily broke out of her hold, the blonde carefully setting her down, before both of them took several steps back, never leaving the other from their sight, and they both took position, Blake mimicking Yang’s stance.

“No weapon?” the blonde asked, arching an eyebrow.

She shrugged one shoulder.

“I figured I could work on hand-to-hand combat a bit.”

“I’m not gonna hold back.”

“You know I don’t want you to.”

It made Yang smirk, her eyes shining again.

“I love it when you’re feisty.”

Before she could say something else, Yang closed the distance, throwing a testing jab at her, one that she easily dodged by stepping to the side, but the blonde twisted, adjusting her footing, and sent a kick to her side, and though she knew this was the kind of kick Yang would pull quickly, it held more power than she though as she blocked it with her knee, grimacing a bit. She barely got the time to step out of the heavy right coming, feeling it just past her ear, and she jumped back, hoping to create some distance between them.

In combat, Yang would have followed her in a heartbeat, for close combat like this was the blonde’s strength, but now Yang only took back her stance, rising her fists on each side of her face as she rolled her shoulders a bit, her eyes locking with Blake’s cockily.

Even if she said she wouldn’t hold back, Yang just did. But she didn’t mind too much as she brought her fists up again, puffing a breath as she did. This time, she was the one closing the distance, and she did in a flash.

Instantly, Yang brought her arms up, shielding her face and head, and she left a shadow there as she circled around, planting her foot in the dirt and throwing a punch, but her lure hadn’t worked, for Yang only twisted and used her forearm to push it aside, before throwing one of her own.

She felt her eyes widening, and she left with a shadow again, jumping to the side and rolling on her shoulder, and as soon as her feet were on the ground she tried a kick, directly in Yang’s blind spot, but the blonde twisted again, letting out a swiping kick and catching her own on the way. With a wicked smile, Yang closed her leg around Blake’s ankle as she dropped, making her leg twist painfully and she didn’t have a choice but to follow the blonde’s movement, leaving her defenseless and flat on her stomach.

Well, that’s what she wanted Yang to think.

“Seems like your stuck, kitty c-”

She was promptly interrupted by Blake’s heel passing dangerously close to her nose as she had used her free foot, and Yang only could roll on her shoulder to avoid the hit, inadvertently freeing Blake’s foot on the way, and both returned to their feet in a blink, raising their fists and keeping their guards up.

It was like that for a while, soon finding themselves covered in sweat and dirt, a cloud of dust hanging lazily around them as they exchanged blows, blocking and dodging with a huff or a grunt, until, as she was shaking her head to try and push back a lock of hair that fell into her eyes, Blake missed Yang’s move.

The blonde hooked a leg right behind hers and pushed her shoulder, rending her off balance, and it only took a light kick in her stomach to send her down, falling heavily in the dirt, and she let out a grunt but she stayed down, panting.

Yang, who had brought her fists up again, only nodded at Blake’s stillness and relaxed, letting out a deep breath as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, before gently, with a smile on her lips, she offered a hand to help Blake up.

As she took it, it was her turn to smile wickedly when she harshly pulled, using her weight to bring the blonde down with a yelp, and they rolled around a few times before stopping, Blake suddenly straddling Yang’s hips as she was smiling proudly down at Yang, which made the blonde huff.

“You are so evil. You dare using my good intentions against me.”

Blake nodded with a playful hum while Yang, exaggeratedly, brought a hand to her chest and set it over her heart, taking a wounded expression.

“I have been nothing but kind to you. Why would you trick me like this?”

“It’s because I’m so evil, sunshine. You just said it.”

“Hm. You’re only lucky I like bad girls. Might be the only reason I married you.”

“Oh?” Blake let out, batting her eyelashes innocently. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, well… You’re also very pretty.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Gorgeous, I’d say.”

“Do go on.”

The blonde shifted under her as she rested her left hand on her naked thigh, resting her prosthetic on her hip to grip it gently and Yang’s lilac eyes scanned her for a moment, half-lidded.

“I kinda want to sweep you away and show you just how much you have corrupted me,” the blonde murmured as her eyes locked with hers.

She could feel her ears perking on top of her head as she raised her eyebrows, but a spark of warmth spread in the pit of her stomach as she quickly glanced around.

“Now?”

“Yeah I mean, behind a bush or something-”

“Yang, we’re covered in dirt and dust.”

“Then…” the blonde let the word trail on her tongue, darting her eyes to the side as her left hand slowly crept higher on her thigh. “We could go skinny dipping?”

She added it with a wiggle of eyebrows that made her roll her eyes.

“You can’t be serious.”

“What if I am?”

“Half the people here know who I am! The Chieftain’s daughter can’t be seen…”

“Corrupting someone else?” Yang suggested, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

It made her rise her eyes to the sky as she sighed, but Yang’s wandering hand kept going in its travel, hovering over the side of her shorts and sneaking under her tank top, and she couldn’t help the goosebumps that rose on her skin.

“We’ll just have to find a hidden spot,” the blonde murmured, her smile inching larger as she saw Blake close her eyes with a short breath. “Come on, love. I know you want to.”

She took a moment to weigh her options, Yang’s hand on her skin making the scale balancing heavily on one side, and she quickly glanced around, narrowing her eyes at the windows of the house, almost expecting her mother watching them and waiting for the perfect moment to prank them, but… there was no one there. Almost giving her the green light for this. And so, she turned back to Yang with a mischievous smile on her lips.

“Okay. Let’s go,” she breathed, quickly moving to her feet and giving one last glance around them while Yang got to her feet in a flash.

“Wait, really? I was only partially joking, but-”

“Are you changing your mind, then?”

“No! Gods, no!”

“Good. Let’s get going before I come back to my senses.”

There was a sparkle in Yang’s beautiful lilac eyes as she took her hand, and she took the time to wink before she hurried through the bushes, Yang following in tow with a ridiculously large grin on her face.

“You really _are_ a bad girl!”

“Oh, hush. You say that like you didn’t know already.”

It made the blonde giggle as she got closer and tried to leave a kiss on her cheek while they were walking, making them stumble a bit as they laughed and Blake tried to hush her again as a giddiness washed over her while she tried to think of a place that would be out of sight, and the search began.

/////////////

When they came back a few hours later, the only one looking mildly distressed at their sudden disappearance was Baxter, while both Weiss and Kali were reading, comfortably sitting on the porch, and Baxter perked his head as he was sitting on the steps when they appeared between the bushes.

“Where were you?” he asked, jumping to his feet. “I saw you were training, and I wanted to watch you but Gramma said I had to clean my room first,” he let out, complaining a bit as he glanced back to see the satisfied smile on Kali’s lips. “But when I was finished, you were gone!”

“We went for a walk,” Blake lied with a smile, seeing Yang nodding in the corner of her eye.

Baxter tilted his head to the side, a frown on his face.

“Your hair is wet.”

“We went for a swim, too!” Yang quickly added with a thumb up.

“Without me?!”

They heard Weiss snorting behind her book, but when she looked up at her Weiss only cleared her throat quietly, seemingly so focused on her book again as she noticed her mother hiding her smile behind her own book, leaving them to deal with him.

“Well you see, sometimes we want a bit of time with just the two of us,” Yang explained, casually.

Baxter looked up at her, nodding a bit earnestly, and it made the blonde shift a little as she glanced at Blake, clearing her throat quietly.

“Alone.”

He nodded again, and Yang glanced at her for help, but she had furrowed her brows, thinking back at what he had said.

“You wanted to watch us train?” she asked then, easily changing the subject of the conversation, much to Yang’s relief as the boy’s attention shifted to her instead.

“Yeah!” he nodded eagerly, a smile gracing his lips as his eyes brightened instantly. “I’ve never watched you train, and after I saw you with the Sea Feilong, I just can’t help but think about how cool you were!”

“‘Cool’, huh?” Yang repeated, a smile pulling her lips as she puffed her chest.

“Yeah!” the boy excitedly let out, his eyes sparkling. “I mean, Weiss literally made a sword taller than her appear from _nothing_!”

They heard the quiet chuckle the smaller woman let out, and even if she was hiding behind her book Blake could see the corner of her lips pulled up as Baxter continued, waving his arms around widely.

“And you were everywhere at once with your shadows! And Mom just jumps up in flames and-” she made a sound that resembled one of an explosion as he punched the air in front of him a few times.

She huffed as she could hear the soft chuckle of her mother, who was still hiding behind her book too, but her attention was brought back on the boy as he sighed quietly, lowering his arms to his sides again, and his smile dimming a bit.

“I wish I had a semblance,” he said quietly, before shrugging one shoulder. “I wish I could fight, like with a sword like you.”

“Really?” she let out, mildly surprised. “That can be arranged. I still have my practice swords in the shed.”

Blake smiled warmly when she saw how Baxter’s entire face lit up, excitement shining bright in his green eyes before he was already running towards the back of the house, wanting to get the swords, and she followed him with her eyes until the sight was obscured by displeased lilac eyes. She blinked in front of Yang’s slight frown as the blonde crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“What?” she asked, shrugging slightly. “This again? I thought it was alright for me to show him things! Nothing happened with his knife last time.”

“A knife and a sword are very different, Blake.”

“But he’s fourteen! He’s old enough to hold a sword; I mean, Ruby was wielding a _scythe_ at his age!”

Maybe using Ruby as an example wasn’t the best idea, and she couldn’t help the small grimace on her face when she saw Yang wince slightly, but the blonde stayed silent for a while, only taking in a deep, sharp breath.

Still, Ruby’s example was showing her point. She could even take herself as an example, for she had started learning swordplay at a younger age.

She knew Yang understood her point, but the blonde was still staying stubbornly silent as she considered her, her lips pressed together, and Blake stepped closer, brushing the blonde’s elbow with the back of her fingers.

“What is it, Yang?” she murmured, furrowing her brows a bit as she searched her wife’s eyes. “Why are you against this? There’s something you’re not telling me.”

She felt one of the ears atop her head flicking slightly as she could hear the faint sounds of rummaging in the shed, but she kept her eyes locked with Yang’s, encouraging her silently to say what she wanted to say. The blonde shifted as her eyes darted to the side, and she could see her jaw working for a moment, until, finally, Yang let out a short sigh.

“It’s just… People that know how to fight tend to get involved. You know that. I just… I want him to be okay, I want him out of trouble. I want him to live a normal life, where he’s safe.”

“But he wants to learn,” she softly reminded. “Do you really want to tell him that you don’t want him to?”

Yang’s expression darkened a bit as she could see Baxter coming back with the box filled with the wooden swords, his eyes staring at the ground to make sure he wouldn’t trip, but she stayed silent. So, as Baxter was setting the box down and sorting through it, Blake brushed her fingers over Yang’s arm again, catching her attention.

“How about we see how it goes?” she offered quietly. “Maybe he’s just curious and the interest will leave after a moment.”

“But what if it doesn’t? He doesn’t even have a Semblance or an aura! Unless he pulls a Jaune kind of thing and discovers it so many years later-”

“We’ll deal with it if it comes to that. Okay?”

Their eyes locked then, Yang’s filled with uncertainty and even fear, but she finally nodded, lowering her eyes as she leaned over to press their foreheads together, and Blake smiled gently, moving to peck the blonde’s lips. It managed to snatch a smile from her, before Yang pulled away, ruffling Baxter’s hair on her way to the porch where she sat at Weiss’s feet, leaning her back against the smaller woman’s knees to better look at them, and Angel crawled closer to lean her head on the blonde’s lap with a deep sigh.

Seemingly sensing that something was wrong, one of Weiss’s hands left the book she was holding to gently rest on top of Yang’s head, her fingers gently and carefully threading through the blonde locks, and it seemed to calm her down. With a small nod to herself, Blake turned to Baxter with a smile.

“So,” she let out, her eyes falling to the box as the boy perked up. “Lesson one: how do you hold a sword?”

 

****

 

Baxter was as fast a learner as ever, soon able to move around with ease with the wooden sword he held properly, and Kali had fled the porch, for the clacking of the two wooden swords always made her jump slightly, and Yang had followed her, wanting to help with dinner. And as Blake kept blocking Baxter’s blows, pointing out his footing or better maneuvers he could do, the faunus noticed how Weiss left her book little by little, soon standing back with her arms crossed as her pale eyes scanned them, analysing every stance and every hit, Angel sitting at her feet and glancing nervously between them and her owner.

But she focused her attention on the boy as he was panting slightly, looking down at his feet and placing them in the right way, his hands tightening on the hilt as he prepared for the next strike. This time, Blake decided to be the one to attack.

With a slight step forward, she went for a thrust, one that Baxter wildly blocked at the last second with a wide arc of his sword to knock it down.

Proud of himself, he looked up with a smile, one that soon transformed into a frown of horror as Blake had already pulled the wooden sword back and was going for a slice on the other side, careful not to go at her usual speed but slower, but Baxter still didn’t have the time to block it as the sword met the boy’s side harmlessly, both of them going still for a second.

“Ugh,” Baxter sighed as he lowered his sword. “I’m dead again.”

“Not dead,” Blake shook her head. “Just wounded. You could pull through if you have a med-kit with you.”

The boy nodded as he brought the wooden sword closer to his eyes, furrowing his brows to better see the dents and marks their practice had caused on it.

“Did it happen to you?” he asked, keeping his attention on the sword.

“Hm?” she hummed questioningly as she was going to their bottles, offering one to Baxter. “What? Injuries on the field?”

“Yeah, I mean… I know Weiss got hurt, the first time I met her,” he said, turning to the smaller woman behind them. “And I know Mom was badly hurt during the war, Pops told us, but…”

He shrugged a bit, lowering the sword again and using the tip of it to draw in the dirt, making Blake raise her eyebrows.

“Don’t you remember when both my ears were alright?” she asked, wiggling said set of ears on top of her head.

It brought Baxter’s attention back to her and managed to make Weiss giggle in the back, making her smile as she looked up to the smaller woman with a wink.

“No, I don’t,” Baxter furrowed his brows, staring at her ears with renewed interest. “I always remembered you with one of your ears missing a chunk of it.”

She hummed again, looking up at Weiss with a soft breath, the smaller woman stepping closer silently.

“There was the time when I… When Beacon fell, and I left,” Blake said slowly, lowering her eyes. “Someone… I knew wanted to hurt me, and he did,” she continued, lifting the hem of her tank top a bit to show the scar she had on her stomach. “He hurt Yang, too. Her arm-”

“I remember Mom saying she had her robot arm because she protected you,” Baxter frowned, thoughtful. “I remember her saying that there were bad guys who were angry at you.”

“We stopped him after Blake, Ruby and Yang found me,” Weiss informed quietly, stepping closer to Blake as she added: “It feels like a lifetime ago…”

“It’s where my ear got cut,” Blake continued with a weak smile, pointing at her ear. “There was an explosion, and I was too close.”

“You were lucky to get away with just that.”

“And a slight concussion,” Blake reminded. “Added with a few cuts and burns.”

Both Blake and Weiss fell silent then as they locked their eyes together, remembering that time when their world nearly tumbled upside down.

“We were so worried about you,” Blake breathed, reaching over to lace her fingers with Weiss’s. “We never left your side. You were never alone.”

It made the smaller woman smile sadly as she squeezed her fingers a bit.

“I know,” Weiss said as quietly as Blake.

She leaned over to press her forehead against Weiss’s, closing her eyes for a moment and knowing that the smaller woman was doing the same. They had gone through so much already, all of them, and she sometimes wondered how they managed to pull through all this.

She moved her head to press a kiss against the smaller woman’s forehead, feeling Weiss reaching up to clutch her shirt. The weight of the wooden sword still in her hand felt reassuring as she tightened her grip on it, remembering how helpless and powerless they had felt when Weiss wasn’t waking up. Then, years later, during the war, when they didn’t know if Yang would ever wake up.

“Girls, Baxter!” they heard Kali call from inside the house. “Dinner’s ready!”

Her mother’s voice suddenly brought her back to reality as she straightened her back, opening her eyes and blinking a bit, the sound of the waves washing on the beach along with the birds chirping coming back to her ears as the cotton that had filled them dissipated. She could see Weiss’s concerned stare, noticing right away that something was wrong, but she force a smile, forced the uneasy feeling to go away as she squeezed Weiss’s fingers one last time before letting go and pulling away.

She noticed how Baxter looked at them, his head tilted slightly and his brows furrowed curiously.

But she only gestured at him to return the sword in the box.

“You heard the lady,” she said with a smile, one that felt a bit more sincere this time. “Dinner’s ready.”

With a nod, the boy did as asked before climbing the stairs of the porch, and she did too, bringing the box on the porch and leaving it on a chair to store back later, feeling Weiss’s hand on her back when the smaller woman passed behind her. And as she entered the kitchen, she could see Baxter already seated and almost vibrating in his seat as his eyes were focused on the coming food.

She firmly grabbed his shoulders and made him stand, before guiding him to the bathroom for he could wash his hands, making the boy complain loudly on the way.

 

****

 

That night, when they were preparing for bed, Blake and Weiss were waiting for Yang as the blonde was in the shower, and Blake was reading, her book opened in her lap as Weiss was lying beside her, strangely still as she kept her eyes to the ceiling, her eyebrows furrowed. She didn’t think much of it for the first fifteen minutes, but she had the time to read six pages by now, and when she glanced at her, Weiss was still staring at the ceiling, as silent as a tomb. Even when the smaller woman’s scroll buzzed quietly on the nightstand, Weiss didn’t make any move to take it.

This was definitely strange, she thought as she lowered her book to better look at her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, soft concern coloring her voice.

Weiss barely moved as she hummed quietly, but it didn’t make her concern falter, on the contrary. So she closed her book on her marker and set it on the nightstand, before shifting on her side to better look at Weiss, folding her arm under her head with a quiet sigh.

“What are you thinking about?” she gently insisted.

“It’s nothing,” came the instant answer.

“Weiss, come on. I can tell something is bothering you. Spill.”

When the smaller woman only pinched her lips, stubbornly staring at the ceiling, she brought a hand up to poke Weiss’s cheek.

“Do you want me to ask Yang when she comes back? You know she’ll bug you until you tell us what’s wrong.”

Weiss’s frown only seemed to deepen at that, Blake’s playful teasing missing its mark somehow as the smaller woman only seemed to close on herself, and she sat up, wondering what she did wrong.

“Hey, seriously, what is it? You know you can tell me, whatever it is.”

“What am I doing here?” Weiss suddenly let out, her voice sharp, but she kept her eyes to the ceiling still.

She took a moment before answering, not entirely sure she understood what Weiss meant.

“You’re going to sleep?” she tried.

When Weiss only glared at her, she shrugged helplessly, throwing her hands in the air.

“You’re not giving me much to work with, so help me.”

The smaller woman’s annoyance faded slowly, and soon she sat up too, sighing a bit as she could see Weiss’s annoyance merge into nervousness as she started fiddling with her fingers over the covers.

“When you were in the shower, earlier,” Weiss started hesitantly, “Baxter asked Yang if you two were married to me, too.”

“Ah.”

“And when she said no, he was confused, and… I can understand why he’s confused. What am I doing? I don’t have any right to be here. I can’t even tell you _how_ it came to that, and I’m-”

“When you say ‘here’,” Blake gently interrupted, furrowing her brows slightly. “Do you mean Menagerie, or…”

“I mean here, in this bed, with you! You and Yang, I mean you’re _married_! So why did I think it was okay for me to… to be here?”

“Weiss, calm down, it’s okay-”

“How can it be ‘okay’?”

The door of the room suddenly opening interrupted them as Yang entered, finishing toweling her hair with a content smile.

“Ah man, this shower felt so good! I’m a bit sorry you didn’t take it with me Blake, because… I’m…”

The blonde closed the door with her foot behind her before stopping, freezing her movement as she took in the heavy atmosphere, how Weiss pulled her knees to her chest and looped her arms around them as she avoided her stare and noticed how Blake sighed as she looked at the smaller woman.

“Perfect timing,” she said to the blonde as she looked up at her. “We have a situation.”

“A situation?” her wife repeated, slowly making her way closer as she let the towel fall around her neck. “What kind of situation?”

“’Weiss freaking out’ kind of situation.”

“Oh,” Yang sat on the edge of the bed, a frown on her face as she extended her left hand out to the smaller woman, gently touching Weiss’s knee with the tips of her fingers. “What’s going on, hun?”

But her gentle gesture only made the smaller woman stiffen it seemed as Weiss only held her knees closer to her chest, a scowl forming on her face.

“Don’t call me that.”

Yang’s frown deepened as her eyes widened, glancing quickly at Blake for answers; the only thing she offered was a shrug, as clueless as her.

“Why?” Yang returned her attention to Weiss, her tone softening as she did.

“Because it’s not fair.”

“To who?” this time she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Weiss’s pale eyes turned to her, and she could see how confused Weiss was, hurt swirling in too, and now more than ever she wanted to understand what was going on.

“To you!” the smaller woman let out almost in a whine, and she could see the same frantic tic, how she was driving her thumbnail into the skin of her forefinger repeatedly. “How can it be fair to either of you? I’m not even part of this relationship, I don’t have anything to do here, and I just forced my way into it still-”

“Woah there,” Yang huffed with a slight smile, raising a peaceful hand in the air between them. “Breathe. You didn’t force anything, hun-Weiss,” Yang quickly corrected, glancing at her as she did. “If we didn’t want you here, trust me, you wouldn’t be.”

“But why?” the smaller woman asked quietly after a beat of silence, running a hand into her hair and letting it linger there. “Why do you make it sound like this is okay? Isn’t it strange?”

“Does it feel strange to you?” Blake asked gently, reaching over to take the hand that was hurt to run a soothing thumb over the abused spot. “Before today, I mean.”

“I…”

Weiss’s pale eyes darted down and away, avoiding both their stares as she seemed to think about it, and she looked up at Yang who smiled at her a bit, fondness in her lilac eyes.

“It doesn’t feel weird to me,” the blonde softly reported, trying again to touch the smaller woman, her ankle this time. “Does it to you?” she asked to Blake.

“No,” she instantly answer, with no trace of hesitation. “You have a place in this, if you want to.”

“Yeah,” Yang gently insisted with a smile. “I mean, we were already kinda a thing.”

It made Weiss snort bitterly as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh really?” her voice was dripping with sarcasm. “How so?”

“Well, I mean,” the blonde looked up with her features scrunched up, thinking as she straightened her back. “You brought the same things Blake does. Comfort, trust, love, support, intimacy-”

“Intimacy?” Weiss nearly chocked on the word, a bit scandalized as she glanced at Blake quickly. “I’m sorry, but we have _never_ been intimate.”

It made Yang laugh softly as Blake only smiled, squeezing Weiss’s hand in hers while the smaller woman narrowed her eyes, glancing at both of them with a deep scowl on her face.

“Why are you laughing at me? I didn’t say anything near funny.”

“Being intimate doesn’t necessarily involve sex, Weiss,” she smiled again, seeing in the corner of her eyes how Yang nodded.

“Yeah! You can still be fully clothed and not be doing the do, and still be intimate with someone. It’s, like… When you get close to someone, and it’s okay. Close of mind, or close physically. Like… When we’re sitting on the couch, and you’re curled up against me, and you tuck your head under my chin with your ear pressed against my chest to hear my heart beat. That’s intimate.”

A faint blush colored Weiss’s cheeks as she shifted a bit, nervously pinching her lips, and so she shifted closer, squeezing Weiss’s fingers again.

“A relationship is supposed to feel good,” Blake started, earning both Weiss and Yang’s attention. “So if this… whatever we’re having, feels weird to you, or you don’t feel good in it anymore, it’s okay. You’re a part of this, and it’s your choice.”

“Yeah, and by all means,” Yang continued, “‘This’ can stay the same as it is now. Unnamed and unknown. So far what we had has been good, in my humble opinion. We’ve been supporting each other and loving each other. It’s pretty great.”

“How can you talk about love?” Weiss breathed, keeping her eyes on her knees. “How can you love me?”

It only made Yang shrug, furrowing her blonde eyebrows as she did.

“Why not? It’s different than Blake’s, but… it’s as important. And,” she added, glancing at Blake with a warm smile. “I know Blake feels the same about you.”

“But how?” the smaller woman quietly insisted, finally looking up at them. “I’m… broken.”

There was a beat of silence as the faunus and the blonde glanced at each other.

“We’re all broken in some ways,” Blake decided to step in, gently. “We’ve been helping each other to… mend the pieces somehow.”

Weiss’s pale eyes glanced a couple of times between them as a silence settled over them, waiting for the smaller woman to process what they had said and to think on it, until she shifted again, lowering her eyes as she nibbled at her lower lip. But she still let Blake hold her hand.

“I don’t know,” Weiss finally let out.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Yang was quick to reassure, gently holding her ankle. “Whatever you decide to do, we’ll be here for you. Always.”

The smaller woman only nodded at this, keeping her eyes low as Yang pulled away, and she could tell the blonde only wanted to lean in and kiss her head, but she refrained. Maybe the best thing to do right now was to tone down physical affection a few notches, and she could see that Yang was thinking the same.

Instead, Yang’s hand traveled to Blake’s ankle, that rested near, and gently squeezed it, needing this affection to be expressed.

“So…” Yang started then, earning both hers and Weiss’s attention. “What about now? I mean, I’m tired and I want to go to sleep, but…” her lilac eyes traveled to Weiss, and she slightly raised one of her eyebrows. “Are we still having a situation?”

“It’s fine,” Weiss instantly answered, but she didn’t move from her curled up spot.

“Okay, well… Do you want to sleep here, or..?”

She trailed off, rising her eyebrows curiously at Weiss as the blonde was crawling in the bed to the edge of it, her usual part of the bed as Blake would be in the middle, and they both waited for Weiss’s answer as the smaller woman seemed to hesitate, her eyes drifting to where Angel was curled up on her bed, in the corner of the room.

“Well… Angel is already asleep, and… I don’t want to be alone, even if I… Even if I don’t know.”

“Okay.”

They settled under the covers and Yang blew the candle burning on the nightstand that was lighting the room, rending it dark as only the light of the stars and the shattered moon filtered in. They stayed silent as they soon started to relax.

Yang was the first to fall asleep, her soft snores filling the air, the sound so familiar and reassuring by now. As her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier, Blake could feel how stiff Weiss was as the smaller woman was on her side, turning her back to her, and she could barely make out her breaths between snores. She could almost see how Weiss had still her eyes wide open and staring at the wall.

Shifting on her side too, pressing against Yang so they could spoon, she still reached out a hand to lightly touch Weiss’s shoulder, making the smaller woman instantly look over it.

“You should get some rest, too,” she whispered. “Staying awake won’t solve anything.”

Weiss nodded, as silently as before, and she settled back against the pillow, and even from Blake’s spot she could see how the smaller woman tried to relax, slowing her breathing and deepening them. But, warmed up against Yang and still feeling Weiss’s presence in front of her, she soon followed Yang in the lands of dreams.

 

****

 

She hated dreams like these. When it was only silhouettes and colors, where she couldn’t quite put the finger on what was frightening her so much but she could feel terror seize her entire body, enclosing around her throat like an ice cold hand. Dreaming of death would be better, for at least, she knew the cause of her fear. Here, it was unknown, just shapeless terror that made all her bones rattle in fear.

“Blake, wake up.”

Even though the voice was whispered in her ear, soft and warm, it didn’t stop her from jerking awake, snapping her eyes wide open only to realise that she was still in the same spot, laying on her side all night, but she was covered in sweat as she could feel the hard press of Yang’s prosthetic arm around her. As she let out a shaky breath, feeling her heart thundering in her ears, she noticed when Yang snaked her left arm under her and closed it around her, her thumb gently rubbing her shoulder, soothing, as the blonde pressed a soft kiss right behind her human ear.

“Are you here?” Yang murmured in her ear again, her lips brushing against the shell of it.

She let her eyes close again, letting Yang pull her closer and taking solace in her wife’s warmth, her presence as solid and grounding as ever, and she wordlessly nodded as she reached a hand up to rest it upon the blonde’s, lacing their fingers together.

“I’m here,” she let out in a breath, her earlier terror slowly fading.

A kiss was pressed behind her ear again, then her neck and nape only to lazily climb up to her shoulder.

“You were thrashing in your sleep,” Yang quietly reported. “Enough for me to wake up because of it.”

“I’m okay.” She assured, knowing it was the blonde’s next question.

“As long as you are.” the blonde murmured, already relaxing.

But Yang kept leaving soft kisses along her shoulder and neck, and gradually all the tension bled from her body as she let out a soft sigh, shifting to reach in front of her… Only to pat the empty and cold spot where Weiss was supposed to be. Opening her eyes with a slight frown, Blake raised her head to look over the edge of the mattress, finding that Angel’s bed was empty, too.

“Where’s Weiss?”

“I don’t know. She was already gone when I woke up.”

Blake hummed quietly, letting out a sigh as her hand rested there, in the empty space Weiss’s absence left.

“You think she’s okay?” Yang asked, keeping her voice as quiet as before. “She seemed really upset last night.”

It only made her hum again, this time thoughtful. Weiss could be very honest, sometimes very blunt about a lot of things, but when it came to her feelings or herself in general, she had the bad habit of keeping it inside, failed to talk about it. It was always Blake or Yang that had to notice when something was wrong, and insist until she finally talked about what was wrong, like the night before. It wasn’t the first time it happened, and as much as they wanted it to be the last, they knew it wouldn’t be.

She let out a sigh as she shifted, gently leaving Yang’s embrace to sit on the bed as she ran a hand in her hair, staring at the closed door. The blonde only propped her head on her hand to better look at her, curious.

“What are we going to do now?” Blake asked quietly, returning her eyes on her wife, who only raised her eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

“What if Weiss is really upset about this? Like, _really_ upset.”

“Then we’ll try and make things right, Blake. Simple,” Yang only shrugged, not very fazed it seemed.

“But how?” Blake asked, rolling her eyes as she did. “What if she locked herself in a room? What if she doesn’t want to talk to anybody again? What if-”

She was interrupted by the doorknob rattling quietly, turning a bit on itself for a few seconds without success, and after blinking and glancing at each other, Blake stood and went for the door while Yang sat up, a frown on both their faces. As she got closer, she could hear someone muttering on the other side, hear faint clattering too, and as the doorknob twisted halfway again, she grabbed it and turned, opening the door.

In front of her stood a stunned Weiss, blinking up at her, perplex, as she was carrying a large tray filled with fruits, pancakes piled up in a plate, a couple of waffles too in another plate, and a carafe of coffee along with a teapot.

“Hi,” the smaller woman tried quietly with a smile.

“Hi,” Blake answered almost out of habit. “Good morning.”

The smaller woman’s smile twitched as her pale eyes drifted down at the tray in her hands, and she could tell when Weiss took a deep breath, seemingly gathering her courage as she looked up again, her smile unsure this time.

“I made breakfast?” Weiss let out quietly, almost sounding like a question.

Blake’s eyes fell down to the tray again, before realising that Weiss was waiting to enter, and she stepped away from the doorway with a small, bashful smile. As soon as Weiss entered Yang’s line of sight, the blonde perked up with an audible gasp, her eyes falling instantly on the tray of food.

“Breakfast in bed?” the blonde asked, a large smile forming on her lips as she quickly arranged the pillows against the headboard. “Nice! What’s the occasion?”

Stopping at the end of the bed, Weiss took the time to eye Yang before glancing down at the tray in her hands, and moved to settle it on the middle under the blonde’s careful watch.

“I, um… I have something to say, and I figured we could talk over breakfast.”

Blake wordlessly sat beside Yang, all her attention turned to the smaller woman as Weiss took a seat at the edge of the bed, on the other side of the tray. Angel silently and discreetly sat at her feet, leaning her head on her owner’s lap, and one of Weiss’s hands moved to rest on it.

“First and foremost,” the smaller woman started, raising a finger in the air. “I’m sorry for my behavior last night. I’m sorry I made ‘this’ strange.”

She gestured at the three of them vaguely, and as Yang seemed about to say something she raised a hand in front of her, stopping the blonde.

“I’m apologising because I understand now, what you meant when you said that what you feel for me is different than Blake’s but just as important.”

“Really?” Blake let out quietly, and she was a bit surprised at the relief she felt.

The smaller woman nodded, solemn.

“I had some help, though.”

“Kali’s motherly senses were tingling?” Yang tried playfully, and it managed to make one corner of Weiss’s lips to curl upward.

“She said it was the sound of Angel’s claws that woke her up,” Weiss rectified gently.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night,” the blonde only shrugged as she leaned back against the pillows.

“What did she say?” pressed Blake, more than curious on how her mother successfully calmed Weiss down.

Pale blue eyes glanced away for a moment, and a single ray of sun filtering through the window caught in them, making them shine in a way that resembled Menagerie’s early morning sky.

“She didn’t say anything for a long time, actually,” Weiss started. “But I guess she was tired of not knowing what was going on.”

_“What happened?”_

_Kali’s soft voice made her tired eyes look up, blinking as she focused on Blake’s mother. It took her a moment, for she had spent such a long time unfocused, lost in her thoughts. She had hoped to rest like Blake had told her to, just a few hours at least, but her mind hadn’t calmed enough for her to do so. Spending the night staring at the wall in the cacophony of her confused thoughts, she decided to rise with the sun, slipping out of bed soundlessly and padded out of the house, as silent as a ghost._

_On her way, though, she stopped in the hallway, in front of the second door on the left, and, with a difficult swallow, pushed the door further open. It did in a quiet creak, and she felt her heart thump painfully in her chest._

_The bedroom looked like the rest of the spare rooms the house had, but this one was different._

_Because it was, unofficially, Ruby’s._

_She had avoided it like the plague, tricking herself into not looking inside, turning her attention entirely on Angel or Blake and Yang, anything to keep her eyes from this door, this single room. Because, as it was Ruby’s, it also became over time, theirs._

_This single room held most of the memories of Ruby, and the most painful ones, too. Before and after they had started a more intimate side to their relationship, here they had been best friends, confidents, lovers…_

_And yet, in a few rooms away, she was desperately sewing her broken heart back up with other people when she didn’t even know if the love of her life was still alive and breathing._

_Guilt, remorse and blame swirled again inside of her, squeezing her throat and making it hard to breathe. It hurt her chest and watered her eyes. Was it fair to Ruby, to try and heal without her? Would she be mad if she knew that, for the moment, Weiss for once listened to Yang and focused on herself instead of actively searching for her?_

_Would Ruby be disappointed to realise how weak she was without her? Without anyone?_

_Something wet and cold nudged the inside of her hand, and she numbly looked down, seeing Angel beside her and pressing against her thigh. The dog let out a quiet whine, stepping on her foot as the dog’s tail was wagging slightly. It didn’t bring pain, at least not much, but it was enough to gather her mind in something a little less… chaotic. For a moment, at least._

_Finally shaking herself, she left the room behind, caressing the dog’s standing ear between her fingers continuously as she slowly made her way outside. And just as she could hear the first birds start singing, she sat down on the first step of the porch, and it didn’t took long for her restless mind to wander again. And despite Angel’s insistent attention, warm licks on her chin or the dog’s presence between her arms, it couldn’t hold her attention like it usually did._

_She had barely noticed someone sitting beside her, as silently as she had, and it was only at the quiet inquiry that she realised who it was._

_The question made her sick to her stomach. What happened? Ruby was gone, nowhere to be seen and she couldn’t get over it. That’s what was happening._

_“Am I betraying Ruby?” she asked instead, her voice shaking at the simple thought she was._

_Visibly taken aback by the question instead of the answer to her question, Kali blinked, but furrowed her brows with a slight tilt of her head._

_“Why would you believe you are?”_

_Huffing bitterly, Weiss ran a hand in her dishevelled hair, wondering how Kali couldn’t_ see _all the things she was doing wrong._

_“Shouldn’t I still be searching for her? What am I doing here, pretending that everything is fine when I’m- When Ruby is-”_

_She interrupted herself when her words choked her as she felt more than she saw Angel wiggling in her arms, worried, and Kali’s hand rested on her back and started rubbing soothing circles._

_“Breathe. You need to breathe, Weiss,” the older faunus murmured as she shifted closer._

_Closing her eyes, Weiss tried to focus on the warmth of Kali’s hand seeping through her nightgown, finding it was easier than she thought. Blake’s mother never stopped, rubbing continuously until her shoulders relaxed, until the invisible hand encircling her neck and choking her slowly retracted, until her mind cleared up the dark fog that kept darkening her thoughts. Only when she took a long, deep breath in and let it out without a hitch in it did Kali’s hand stop its soothing motion, but stayed against her back all the same, a solid, reassuring contact she was grateful for._

_“What do you think you’re doing, Weiss?” Kali’s voice was soft and quiet, devoid of judgment. She was simply curious._

_“Healing,” she let out after a thoughtful moment. “Or at least, trying to.”_

_When she opened her eyes again, she was met with mismatched eyes that were drilled on her as Angel sat still in front of her. As soon as her eyes opened, the dog reached over to press its wet snout against her cheek, letting out an almost inaudible whine, and she instantly raised a hand to pet Angel’s head, reassuring the dog that she was really focused on the present._

_“And doing that is betraying Ruby?”_

_She felt her shoulders sag at the question._

_“No.”_

_“Then why do you think so?”_

_“It’s not… that. I know Ruby would be happy to see that I’m trying. It’s the play pretend I’m doing with Blake and Yang that… that makes no sense to me. She would never…”_

_Understand? Forgive her? As she trailed off, unsure of what to say, Kali only smiled at her, patiently waiting for her to work out whatever conflicting thoughts she had._

_How had she not thought about this before? When Baxter asked if Blake and Yang were in some way involved with her, she had instantly panicked. ‘What would Ruby say? Her own sister! They are  married!’_

_But the question was indeed a fair one. What would Ruby say?_

_Now that she was calmer, or at least, her mind was a bit clearer, she remembered what Ruby said when she broke up with her, in the middle of nowhere, the day before everything went downhill._

_Ruby had said she couldn’t provide all the things that Weiss needed. Couldn’t give her all the support and love Weiss needed._

_Blake and Yang were giving her all the support she needed. They both cared deeply for her, and they wanted her with them. They were giving Weiss everything she needed, and then some._

_What would Ruby say? She would probably say she was relieved that she was in good, caring hands._

_Would she ever forgive her for what seemed to her a betrayal? Of course she would. Weiss had found someone (or two) to take care of her the way Ruby couldn’t. And who would be more trustworthy than their own teammates? Besides, they weren’t as involved as she was with Ruby._

_Of course Ruby would forgive her. Of course she would understand._

_After all, Ruby had always wanted Weiss happy._

_She lowered her head, hiding behind her bangs as she looped her arms around Angel to hold her closely, feeling guilty to ever think that what she had with Blake and Yang was anything else than pure and genuine._

_And to think she had said to their faces it was strange…_

_“You know, I asked Blake if I had another daughter-in-law,” Kali let out, as if reading her train of thought on her face. “She said that she didn’t know, because you hadn’t talked about it yet. But she was sure of one thing, though.”_

_When she looked up, she could see the soft smile pulling the older faunus’ lips, her amber eyes, so similar to Blake’s, filled with nothing but tenderness._

_“She is happy with the way things are. She assured me Yang was, too.”_

_“They told me so, too,” Weiss mumbled as she looked down, suddenly embarrassed as she felt warmth spread through her chest._

_“Love can present itself in many ways, Weiss,” Kali continued, the hand on her back moving to gently grip her chin. “Like loving someone like your own child even though you are not related.”_

_When Blake’s mother leaned over to press a soft kiss on her forehead, she couldn’t help but close her eyes and feel them prickle. What had she done in this life to deserve all this?_

_Surely, she was blessed for something she wasn’t sure she did._

_“In my experience, love is the most complicated feeling we can live, but also the simplest one.”_

_Kali paused then, running her thumb across her cheek tenderly as her amber eyes looked at her, and she felt her throat tightening at the amount of love she could see in her eyes._

_“So, Weiss. Are you happy?”_

“So what did you say?” Yang asked excitedly, hugging her pillow as her attention was entirely focused on Weiss, seemingly enjoying the story the smaller woman was telling.

Instead of answering right away, Weiss took a moment to look at both of them before she stood, and she started pacing back and forth slowly, appearing calm. Though Blake caught the way the smaller woman was fidgeting, telling of a level of nervousness.

“I wanted to thank you for all you two have done for me,” Weiss started, sending a quick glance towards them. “For your care, your support, and for always believing that I could get better.”

“You’ve come so far!” Yang commented quietly, earning the smaller woman’s eyes for a few seconds. “We all did.”

A soft smile graced Weiss’ lips before her pace slowed down again as her pale eyes drifted to the floor, and Blake noticed the fidgeting was more apparent, now. The faunus looked over where Angel was calmly sitting, the dog following her owner with her eyes without an ounce of worry. So she returned her attention on the smaller woman, who seemed to be struggling to find the right words to best express herself next.

“And…”  Weiss let out, quickly wetting her lips. “You know how my relationship with Ruby during the war wasn’t… as stellar as it could have been.”

Beside her, Blake could almost feel how Yang’s behavior changed, passing from quiet adoration to seriousness in the blink of an eye. Even herself, she felt her ears lower a bit on her head despite herself.

“I haven’t…” Stopping her sentence there, Weiss stopped her pacing to shake her head, her eyes veiled for a moment before taking a deep breath as she turned to them, her expression resolute and determined. Her eyes took back the shine they had just a moment ago. “You made sure I felt loved. You made sure I felt safe. You… You made sure I was happy. Because I am happy. And… It feels good, after so long.”

Weiss looked almost embarrassed to even admit it as her determined expression faltered, and she started fidgeting again. Meanwhile, Yang had jumped out of bed to quickly wrap the smaller woman in one of her trademark bear hug, and Blake couldn’t help but smile when she heard the grunt Weiss let out when her feet were lifted off the ground. After spinning around twice, the blonde set Weiss down carefully, smiling at the smaller woman who had a discreet shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

“So, if you’d still have me, I’d like for ‘this’ to stay the same as before,” Weiss proposed quietly, squinting one eye when Yang leaned down to kiss her temple.

“Of course!” the blonde cheered, wrapping her arms around Weiss again, this time to hug her gently as she leaned her cheek on top of alabaster hair.

Almost timidly, Weiss looped her arms around Yang’s waist to return the affection, and Blake didn’t miss the way the smaller woman closed her eyes as she sighed in relief. She looked up when she felt a pair of eyes on her, meeting lilac eyes looking at her as they were filled with affection and love, and Yang didn’t have to say one word for Blake to stand and join them, kissing the crown of Weiss’s head before pressing her lips against Yang’s.

 

****

 

If Kali was proud to have defused the tension between the three, she didn’t show it, greeting them with a smile and a kiss on the cheek as always. Although she heard her mother murmur in Weiss’s ear as she was leaned over the smaller woman, something about being proud of her.

They were leaving soon, now, in two days, to her parents and Baxter’s regret. Weiss could see the amount of work virtually pilling up on her desk, and Baxter would start school in a few weeks.

Still, Baxter insisted often to resume their sparring sessions, wanting to learn as much as he could before they would leave, and Blake didn’t have the heart to refuse, even if she could feel Yang’s reproving stare on her back.

Baxter had tied his hair up just like her, and he was standing in front of her with his wooden blade raised in a defensive stance, barefoot and only wearing his shorts under the merciless rays of the sun. For her part, Blake was wearing the black crop top she liked so much, added with short shorts that gave her all the mobility she wanted.

Weiss, as always, was watching a few paces away, her arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on her face as Angel was laying on her side in the dirt.

Again, Baxter was the first to close the distance, bravely thrusting the weapon in front of him, and Blake easily dodged the blow, answering with one of her own. Sending a quick, side slash, the boy’s blade firmly stopped it, and Blake smiled proudly. Baxter’s blocks were solid now as he quickly got the hang of it, and his stance didn’t waver like it did in the beginning.

Quickly pushing back Blake’s weapon, Baxter stepped forward as he gripped the hilt with two hands before bringing his blade down in a powerful downward strike. Humoring him, Blake raised her wooden sword to block it, but was genuinely surprised by the force it held as she felt her arm buckle. Noticing right away Blake’s weakness, Baxter’s lips pulled in a smirk as he brought the weapon back and, as fast as lightning, swiped in a wide arc in front of him, hopeful that he would hit Blake in her side.

But she jumped back at the last second, the tip of the sword grazing against the skin of her stomach, and Baxter had put so much strength in his attack that missing his target sent him reeling, stumbling a bit on his feet. Seeing the large opening, Blake thrusted forward in a feint, and, to her surprise, the boy was able to bring his sword back and in front of him to block the blow, although it was large and unstable. Seeing that the attack never came, Baxter chose to counter-attack, extending his arm in a one handed blow, but Blake only stepped to the side and smacked the tip of her weapon on the boy’s hand, making him yelp and loose his grip on the handle.

He pouted as Blake raised the tip of her sword towards the boy’s chest, and Baxter only shrugged in defeat, shaking his hand a bit.

“You’re improving quickly,” Blake commented with a smile as she lowered her sword. “I’m proud of you.”

The praise made the boy blush a bit as he shifted on his feet, but he still answered with a large grin, grateful that she was taking some time to teach him swordplay.

“Thanks!”

“You’re really good with a sword, Bax,” Blake continued, stepping closer to take a look at his hand, making sure she hadn’t hit too hard. “Are you sure you don’t want to be a warrior?”

“Mom wouldn’t want me to,” he smiled as he shrugged again. “Besides, I don’t have a Semblance.”

“I can at least unlock your Aura,” she said quietly, and it earned his bright, vibrant green eyes to instantly look up at her. “And if you ever discover your semblance and you do want to be a warrior, I’m sure I can convince Yang. _You_ can convince her.”

When Baxter’s mouth hung open, not knowing what to say as he was quickly thinking about his options, she leaned over, pressing a kiss on his forehead after she pushed a few bangs to the side. She didn’t have to lean down much now, for he was so tall, and she realised with a pinch to her heart that in just a few years, he would be a man.

“Think about it and I’ll talk to Yang about your Aura?” she proposed, locking her eyes with Baxter’s.

He vehemently nodded, a large smile splitting his face in half, and to see him so excited made her smile with a soft chuckle, but before she could add anything else, she felt a presence beside her.

“Can I try?”

Turning around, she discovered that Weiss was stepping closer, her expression locked in a frown as her eyes were focused on the wooden sword in Blake’s hand. Wordlessly, she offered her weapon to the smaller woman, hilt first, and was gesturing to Baxter to get back into position when Weiss’ hand lightly rested on her arm, stopping her.

“I meant against you,” the smaller woman smiled.

It made her rise her eyebrows, because in Weiss’ eyes she could see a conflict of emotions. Uncertainty, nervousness, excitement. She could even see apprehension. Now that she thought about it, ever since Myrtenaster was snapped in two, Weiss hadn’t touched her weapon. The first time she held a sword ever since the end of the war was when they fought the Sea Feilong. No wonder Weiss had been stalking their practices so intently.

“Of course,” she nodded, smiling when she heard the very audible gasp Baxter let out.

The boy promptly picked up his sword and solemnly offered it to Weiss, bowing his head slightly in front of her and effectively making the smaller woman chuckle. After a second of hesitation, Weiss took the offered sword, and as she looked down at it Baxter excitedly trotted back towards the house and sat down on the steps to watch them, almost bouncing in his seat as he not so patiently waited for them to begin.

After giving a few testing swings, getting used to the weight and the length of the wooden sword, Weiss settled in front of her, a couple of paces separating them. Blake raised her sword in front of her before reaching over, waiting for the smaller woman to tap hers against it, and she could see Weiss take in a sharp breath before she raised her pale eyes to meet hers, a small, hesitant smile on her lips.

“Be gentle with me,” the smaller woman said as she reached over to lightly tap the two swords together. “It’s been awhile.”

But as soon as they got into position, with a subtle flick of her wrist, Weiss summoned a glyph under her feet before zipping forward, closing the distance in a flash. Entirely out of instincts, Blake raised her wooden sword up, and the two weapons met with a loud clack, the force of it reverberating through her arms up to her shoulders.

“And you tell _me_ to be gentle?” she playfully scoffed, meeting Weiss’ excited gaze.

Pushing Weiss back, she lowered herself a bit, standing at the ready with all her muscles coiled, and she rolled her shoulders in anticipation of what would surely be a good fight. It had been a very long time since the two had sparred, and she remembered it being taxing and tiring, but so much fun.

Somersaulting back, Weiss crouched against a glyph that had appeared behind her and, as sky-blue eyes were locked on her with laser-focus, she couldn’t help the smile pulling her lips, feeling the hair at the back of her neck standing.

When a matching grin appeared on Weiss’s lips, she knew that the smaller woman was on her way to become a Huntress again. Because this was Weiss, the Huntress who fought like a proud lioness, with everything she had.

When she remarked Weiss’s thighs tensing, she knew she had barely a second to move away, and she barely had the time to step to the side, leaving a shadow behind that Weiss had already thrusted the sword through and making the silhouette disappear in a dark cloud. Stepping back, she swung her sword in a wide arc in front of her, her attack bouncing off harmlessly from a tiny glyph Weiss had summoned to cover her back.

Still, it gave her the time to jump back and put some much needed distance between them, preparing her next attack as Weiss skidded in the dirt, rising a small cloud of dust as she did. Sending a shadow towards Weiss, she dashed to the side, hoping to circle back and hide in the smaller woman’s blind spot, but Weiss seemingly saw right through the tactic, not giving a single glance to the clone as she was already turning towards her, and she bit back a curse. Backpedaling as she slid under the horizontal slash of Weiss’s sword, she sent three shadows in different directions as she jumped back, rolling on her shoulder.

As soon as she got to her feet though, she saw the circle of glyphs forming around her, and this time she cursed out loud, turning around promptly just in time to see a flash of white zip in front of her to another glyph as one of her shadows burst in a dark cloud. Quickly glancing around, she presumed Weiss’ next target and moved towards the nearest glyph, and as her clone burst right beside her, pierced through by Weiss’s wooden sword, she smiled.

Fighting with Weiss had always been like that. The smaller woman preferred to beat her with speed and precision, because Blake knew she had the upper hand when they were face-to-face. Even though Weiss’ swordplay was impeccable, sparring with Blake was like fighting with darkness itself. Always swinging without hitting anything, while the dark blade of Gambol Shroud pierced through the dark cloud from nowhere before disappearing again.

So, knowing that Weiss wouldn’t have the time to run away again, she swung her sword, and Weiss stumbled off her glyph as she blocked the blow. With the help of her shadows, she made quick work of delivering a flurry of blows to her opponent, which Weiss, she had to give her that, managed to survive through. But the smaller woman was losing more and more ground, and Blake could hear the loud, shallow panting of Weiss in between the clanking noises of their swords, and the fight ended as suddenly as it had started.

After a few hits, that Weiss managed to both dodge or block even though she could feel how Weiss’s arms were weakening by the second, she quickly spun on her heel to stomp her foot right in the smaller woman’s stomach as she was reeling from a particularly forceful hit.

Weiss’ Aura flared then, a veil of pure white light pulsing around her form as she heard the smaller woman loose her breath, and was sent stumbling backwards until her back hit the rough bark of one of the tall palm trees surrounding the house. Blinking in surprise, Weiss glanced over her shoulder, but Blake didn’t give her the time to plan an escape and firmly pressed the round tip of her sword against the smaller woman’s chest.

For a moment, everything was still, the cloud of dust surrounding them seemingly frozen in place as the sun filtered through, and their eyes were locked as both of them were panting, gasping for breath. Beads of sweat had formed on the smaller woman’s forehead, a few bangs sticking to her skin, and a slow smile pulled Weiss’ lips as she raised her hands up, holding the wooden sword upside down, the tip towards the ground.

“I yield,” Weiss managed to say between pants, her voice hoarse.

Loud clapping caught their attention towards the porch of the house where they could see Baxter and Yang whooping as they clapped while Kali was much more discreet about it, but no less impressed by the duel.

“That was _so_ awesome!” Baxter was bouncing on his feet as he was still clapping happily, his smile a mile wide and his eyes shining.

“Are you okay?” Yang asked to the pair as she made her way closer, her lilac eyes quickly looking over Blake and Weiss.

She answered with a simple thumb up as she lowered her weapon, before turning her attention to Weiss who had pressed a hand on her stomach, where a footprint was visible on the smaller woman’s immaculate sundress. Before she could ask if she was alright, Weiss doubled over, leaning her hands on her knees while she was still leaned against the tree. Instantly, both her and Yang reached over, each of them touching lightly Weiss’s shoulders.

“I’m fine, I just…” the smaller woman gestured vaguely, still bent over. “Need to catch my breath. That was a solid kick.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yang gently insisted, crouching beside Weiss.

“Besides the bruise I’m sure to have and that my arms feel like overcooked noodles, I’m perfectly fine, Yang,” the smaller woman glanced at her, flashing a reassuring smile along with a trembling thumb up. “Don’t worry.”

As if to prove that she was really alright, Weiss straightened her back and gave back the wooden sword to Blake, groaning as she did.

“Gods, what a workout! I should have thought twice before going all out on you.”

Smiling at the tired but satisfied smile Weiss sent her way, she squeezed the smaller woman’s shoulder affectionately before slowly guiding her towards the house.

“You should take a warm bath, or you’re going to be awfully sore tomorrow,” she said, rubbing her back for a moment. “You did really good, Weiss. I’m proud of you.”

It made the smaller woman huff quietly, but she still accepted her words with gratitude.

“Thank you,” Weiss nonetheless breathed.

Yang, then, elegantly offered her arm for Weiss to take, and after a blink of surprise the smaller woman accepted the offer, letting the blonde lead her inside the house. Shaking her head softly as she decided to sit at the base of the tree where the sparring ended, Blake leaned against it as she slowly found her breath again, feeling all the twinges and pulls of her tired muscles after this demanding spar. Now more than ever could she feel her lack of physical activity from the last couple months, because it had been, all in all, a short spar, and yet…

Biting back a huff of frustration, she squeezed her hands into tight fists, lowering her head to stare at the ground. She could hear Kali and Baxter talking near, but there was only one thought that was looping over and over again in her mind.

If something happened, a breach in the city or Salem coming back, she would die on the battlefield. It was most definitely a certainty.

A high-pitched laughter caught her attention, followed by Baxter’s laugh, and it eased her anxiety as she looked up to see someone jumping in the boy’s arms before he made them twirl around a couple of times.

It was only when Kali smiled as Baxter let them down that she saw who it was, she got to her feet, hating how her legs felt wobbly as she made her way closer.

The person was a girl about Baxter’s age, with her skin the color of coffee and cream Yang liked so much as she had shoulder-length brown hair, slightly curly and moved by the soft breeze. The girl was a faunus, too, two tall, seemingly oversized ears standing on top of her head, the shade of the tufted fur covering them a curiously dark gray, and she knew it wasn’t feline ears, but canine.

She would probably grow into them, like most children harboring canid appendage.

“Hello, honey,” Kali was greeting the girl, caressing her head tenderly and making one fluffy ear flatten against brown hair as Baxter’s friend leaned into the touch. “How was the trip?”

“It was fun!” the girl exclaimed, bouncing a bit on her feet. “It’s been awhile since I saw my grandparents!”

Baxter noticed her approach and he smiled at her over his shoulder, his eyes shining excitedly.

“Mama! This is my best friend, Luna!”

“Don’t you mean ‘super’ best friend?” the girl commented with a quiet chuckle as she turned her eyes to Blake.

And as soon as their eyes locked, Blake stopped dead in her track, for a second her breath leaving her lungs. Two big, bright pale eyes were focused on her, not gray but not blue either, so pale that it looked like Mistral’s morning mist. But, caught in the light of the sun, she had thought for a second that her eyes were silver, and Ruby’s face flashed before her eyes, replacing Luna for this short moment.

A soft touch to her elbow brought her back to reality, and she blinked, the vision replaced by the slightly worried expression on the girl’s face as Kali squeezed her arm reassuringly, seemingly understanding what had happened.

“Luna,” she finally managed to say with a trembling smile, but the one the girl returned was grateful. “You… have pretty eyes.”

Kali, Baxter and Luna blinked at the sudden compliment, but the girl’s face split in two as a large smile pulled her lips, revealing two small fangs.

“Thanks! My mom called me ‘Luna’ because she says I have eyes like the moon!”

With the corners of her lips twitching, Blake huffed, her smile more assured now as the sudden pain in her chest faded slowly, she set a hand on Baxter’s shoulder, feeling him straighten his back proudly.

“I’m Blake, Baxter’s mother.”

“I know! BB told me so many things about you!”

“‘BB’?” she said again, raising a curious eyebrow.

“Baxter Belladonna!” Luna explained as if the answer was written in the sky.

It has been something they had wanted to do for a long time, to adopt Baxter legally. A few days before their wedding, they had filled the forms, but they had been surprised by the day of the wedding, then the war. Both she and Yang never thought it would be this long to adopt a child, and, because of the lack of time, they had never given the papers back.

Surely Kali and Ghira did in their place. When she glanced at her mother, Kali gave the slightest nod, seemingly knowing what was on her mind and confirming it.

“Oh! Who might that be?”

They turned towards the porch where Yang’s voice sounded, and the blonde skipped the last step to jump down the stairs, her eyes focused on the new comer.

“Is this the friend you’ve been so desperate for us to meet?” The blonde continued, playfully nudging Baxter’s shoulder and making the boy blush slightly.

As Baxter grumbled something under his breath, scratching his cheek, the oversized ears sitting atop Luna’s head were slightly bent backwards, seemingly the only hint of embarrassment from the girl.

“This is Luna,” the boy finally muttered for Yang, pointing to his friend.

It made the blonde snort, ruffling his hair and making him protest as she did, before offering her left hand to the girl with a large smile.

“Hi! I’m Yang!”

Luna perked up, directing her bright pale eyes on the blonde with an equally large smile.

“You’re Baxter’s other mom!” The girl exclaimed.

It made Yang laugh heartily and made both Blake and Kali smile, but before they could add anything else, Baxter was already dragging the girl by the elbow towards the beach. Seemingly used to be dragged around, Luna only started talking animatedly, and the boy released her elbow at some point so he could point at this and that as they talked, and Blake heard Yang sighing beside her, feeling her presence close. Glancing over, she could see the blonde slowly shaking her head with an amused smile pulling her lips.

“Ah, young love,” Yang quietly let out, loosely wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Wait, you really think that’s it?” she asked, pointing not so discreetly towards Baxter and Luna.

It made Yang shrug slightly.

“Maybe? I mean, who wasn’t in love at fourteen?”

When she was met with Blake’s doubtful silence, Yang rolled her eyes.

“Okay, well, who didn’t have a _crush_ on someone at fourteen?”

Satisfied, she hummed, feeling one corner of her lips twitching up.

“Better,” she nonetheless commented, making the blonde snort.

“You two could know her better over dinner,” Kali commented as she turned to go back inside the house.

“She’s staying for diner?” Blake asked, surprised.

She hadn’t even heard her mother offer it.

“She always does,” her mother answered, sending a pointed look towards Baxter’s back.

The enigmatic answer made Yang laugh again, and she smiled, looking over where Baxter seemed to talk about their earlier practise, showing off his stances as he held an invisible sword.

 

****

 

As Kali predicted, Baxter came back  with his friend just a bit before diner, asking if Luna could stay a little longer, and he hadn’t even finished his sentence that Kali was already pulling an extra plate from the cabinet.

Luna was as joyful as she seemed, telling stories of how Baxter and her pranked other friends at school with so much details that they all could picture it, with the boy complementing her stories with a joke or an imitation that left them with their stomach hurting from laughter.

Baxter and Luna decidedly were the best of friend, one only having to say a few words for the other to instantly know what the other was about to say, or sharing a look of mischief after a particularly good prank story.

“Luna always has my back,” Baxter was saying as he scraped the last of his rice in his bowl. “And I always have hers.”

“And nothing can stand between us!” The girl cheered proudly, raising her spoon in the air. “Not even stupid Jasper!”

“Jasper?” Blake repeated, recognition in her voice. “Isn’t he the one who stole your knife, once upon a time?”

It only made Baxter sigh as he set his spoon down, rolling his eyes on the way.

“Yeah.”

“Is he still bothering you?” This time Yang asked, freezing her spoon in mid-air as she looked over at him.

“No,” the boy said with a shrug.

“Yeah,” Luna said at the same time.

When they glanced at each other before looking down at their respective bowl with their mouth firmly shut, it made everyone raise their eyebrows.

“Well, I mean, Jasper’s a jerk to everyone, so…” Baxter mumbled, toying with his spoon.

“And yet, he now knows not to mess with you when I’m around,” Luna tried to cheer him up, bumping their shoulders together.

When the girl’s words were met with silence, the boy shifted slightly, giving a slight shrug as he glanced towards Yang with a smirk.

“She throws a mean punch,” he shortly explained, making the blonde snort.

Luna offered both thumbs-up at that, smiling proudly, effectively making Yang chuckle as Weiss hummed thoughtfully, her eyes up to the ceiling.

“I wonder if every school has to have their communal jerk or if it’s just really bad luck.”

“Yeah, and each headmaster would choose one from the Jerkpool to keep it random, so not every school have a Cardin or a Jasper.”

It made Weiss snicker quietly as the blonde chuckled along, but it made Baxter tilt his head to the side, curious.

“Cardin?”

“Our communal jerk,” Blake explained in a sigh, setting her spoon over her empty bowl. “There wasn’t anything low enough for him.”

“I wonder if he changed, after the war,” Yang quietly mused, furrowing her brows. “Like, is he still a jerk, or is he a good guy now?”

“Still a jerk,” both Blake and Weiss said in synch, before sharing a knowing look.

It made her huff as Weiss smiled, before they returned their attention on their food as Yang, sitting in between them, narrowed her eyes a fraction before glancing at both of them, suspicious.

“What’s with that ‘partner in crime’ look? What did I miss?”

“Nothing worth mentioning.”

When Yang narrowed her eyes again with an angry pout, it made everyone laugh, and the rest of diner was spent like this, with laughter and light conversation. The normality of it rested on Blake’s mind like a warm blanket in the coldest winter, feeling warmth spread in her chest and reach all the way to the tips of her limbs as she looked over the table where Baxter was laughing, Kali smiling tenderly at Ghira from across the table as her father returned it gladly, while Yang and Weiss were bickering playfully beside her.

It felt normal. Like their life was back on track. The shadow of the war was now far behind them, as they had made it out.

They had made it. Together. And she couldn’t be more proud of all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! You're all awesome!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeyyy! You know what? I'm a goddamn liar. Because apparently I had more to say than I realised to finish this, so yeah.
> 
> So have this! Part 3 of what was supposed to be the last chapter LOL That is the biggest lie I ever told. Wow.
> 
> Anyway! I'm pretty sure part 4 will be the last, but I'm not going to assure it. I don't want to jinx it.
> 
> Also sorry for the wait haha

That night, when they went to bed, Blake had this indescribable desire to hold Weiss and Yang closely to her, and as she managed to hold them she let out a loud, happy purr that made both of them smile with a huff. They fell asleep like that, snuggled close, lulled by Blake’s purring, comfortable even though they were squished together.

The next day was slow as they started packing, Weiss seemingly in a good mood as she kept humming a song to herself, folding her clothes neatly before placing them in her luggage while Baxter was sitting comfortably in the middle of the bed.

Taking advantage of Baxter happily conversing with Weiss to discreetly pull Yang aside in the next spare bedroom, and when she silently closed the door behind her, Yang furrowed her brow curiously, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

“Is something wrong?” The blonde asked, already reaching a hand over as she stepped closer.

“No, everything is fine,” she instantly reassured her, seeing her wife’s features relaxing. “But I have to talk to you about something.”

Raising surprised eyebrows, Yang blinked at her for a moment before moving to sit on the edge of the bed, the earlier concern coming back as it was clear she was wondering what subject deserved privacy like this. Knowing that Yang probably wouldn’t enjoy what she was about to say, Blake paused in front of her, toying with her fingers for a moment.

“It’s about Bax,” she started carefully, and instantly Yang straightened her back.

“What about him?”

“Well, I trained with him yesterday and… He seemed willing to have his Aura unlocked.”

The bright, clear lilac of Yang’s eyes darkened instantly as the blonde slowly stood, but before she could say anything Blake promptly raised a peaceful hand in front of her.

“I said I would talk about it with you first.”

Her mouth clacking shut dryly, Yang pinched her lips as she stared at her for another long, painfully silent moment, and she could see the whirlwind of emotions quickly passing in her eyes before the blonde turned away, taking a few steps deeper in the room as she ran a hand in her hair, slowly.

“He actually asked for you to unlock his Aura?” Yang finally asked quietly, still her back turned to her.

She felt her ears lower on top of her head, biting her lip for a second.

“Um, no, but when I told him I could…”

“So you’re the one who proposed it?” Her wife turned on her heels to stare at her. “Even if I _expressly_ told you I didn’t want him anywhere near harm?”

“You know most civilians have an Aura, Yang,” she softly countered, taking a step in her direction. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to throw himself in harm’s way. He knows you want him safe.”

“But what if he discovers his Semblance? What if he wants to be a Huntsman? I’m not losing someone else-”

Suddenly interrupting herself, Yang took a sharp intake of air as she looked up at the ceiling, resting both hands on her hips. She could see how the blonde’s jaw was working, how hardly she was staring at the ceiling, debating silently with herself as she stayed strangely still for a long moment. Blake only stayed silent, waiting for her wife to say what she wanted to say.

Finally lowering her head with a deep sigh, Yang closed her eyes, her frame deflating a bit.

“I can’t keep him locked away,” the blonde murmured, sounding defeated. “Look how well it worked for Weiss.”

The comment made her huff, a small smile pulling her lips as she could see one on her wife’s lips too, but then Yang groaned loudly, falling down on the bed and making it creak as she did.

“Fine!” Her wife grumbled through the pillow. “I’ll allow it.”

Perking up, Blake smiled, about to jump in the bed to hug her wife until Yang propped herself on her elbows with all the seriousness of the world in her eyes.

“Under one condition.”

Quickly closing the distance, she sat on the edge of the bed, ready to fetch the moon if Yang asked for it.

“Yes?”

“I want to do it,” the blonde said with a slight nod before looking up at her. “I want to be the one unlocking his Aura.”

The seriousness in Yang’s eyes left place for something softer, tender, and when she sighed again, resigned to her decision, it made Blake smile, considering her wife for a moment more before leaning over, gently cupping her cheek to leave a soft kiss on her lips. Returning the kiss with all the tenderness of the world, the blonde closed her eyes to better enjoy it, and Blake only pulled away when Yang’s stiff shoulders had relaxed completely.

“I’m sure he’ll be glad that it’s you,” she murmured in Yang’s ear as she nuzzled blond tresses there, before leaving a soft kiss on the shell of her ear.

 

****

 

Later in the afternoon, when they were nearly finished packing, they went outside to enjoy the rest of the day together, for their ship left early the next morning. As Blake settled in the hammock chair with her book, Weiss already claiming the padded chair beside her while Kali sat across from her with a few papers from her work on the small table there, Yang wrapped an arm around Baxter’s shoulders, pulling the boy closer to her.

“How about we go take a walk?” The blonde smiled down at him. “Just the two of us?”

Blinking for a second, Baxter glanced at Blake, who slightly bowed her head and effectively making his vibrant green eyes grew wider as he looked back at Yang.

“Sure!” The boy smiled largely, standing a bit taller.

As they took a few steps away, Yang looked back at her, locking her eyes for a moment, before reaching her left hand up and, with the tips of her fingers, brushed the space over her heart. Feeling warmth spreading through her chest at the gesture, she brought her right hand to her chest, over her heart, and tapped there twice.

It was their secret code, as Yang had put it. When they were across the room, or they didn’t want to break the silence. The secret code to say ‘I love you’.

As Yang smiled, the silent exchange seemingly giving her the courage she needed to proceed, the blonde followed Baxter, a few paces in front of her, before loosely wrapping her left arm around his shoulders, leaning slightly over as she talked.

Following them with her eyes as they lazily went towards the beach, Blake felt herself relax, forgetting the book in her hands for a moment.

“‘For it is in passing that we achieve immortality’,” Weiss’ voice suddenly sounded, quiet but surprising her anyway as she looked over to see she was looking over the pair, too. “Isn’t it strange that we have to talk about death to activate the thing protecting us?”

“I think it’s quite fitting,” she commented after a few seconds of thoughts. “Reminds us we still have to be careful.”

Humming, Weiss kept her attention on Yang and Baxter as they stopped just before they would disappear behind the line of bushes and palm trees, and Blake was sure she could hear their conversation if she wanted to, but she let it be as she was content to simply watch over them.

“Do you remember how disappointed you were when nothing ‘big’ happened when Ghira unlocked your Aura?” Kali asked with a quiet chuckle as she looked up at her daughter, a teasing smile pulling her lips.

“Well Dad made it sound like such a big deal, I had expectations,” she huffed, daintily turning a page of her book and effectively making her mother snort.

Trying to hide a smile as a silence settled over them again, she glanced over at Weiss, seeing the smaller woman wore a wistful expression as she still stared at Yang and Baxter, her book forgotten in her lap. Reaching over, she brushed the back of her fingers over Weiss’ shoulder, softly catching her attention.

“Who unlocked yours?” She asked, hoping it would cheer her up. “Was it Winter?”

Unfortunately, a shadow darkened the smaller woman’s expression for a second, but Weiss simply took a sharp breath before returning her gaze to her book, seemingly uninterested with the conversation, now.

“No. I did it myself. Winter wasn’t trained enough, and Mother…”

Utterly surprised at the mention of the woman Weiss never spoke about, Blake felt her eyebrows climb high as she stared at the smaller woman.

“I’m told she has been a wonderful warrior, once upon a time,” Weiss continued quietly, flipping a page. “Obviously it was a long time ago.”

“You don’t talk about her often,” Kali quietly commented, her pen stilled in her hand as her amber gaze was on Weiss.

Shrugging one shoulder indifferently, Weiss didn’t even looked up from her book, an unreadable mask settling on her face.

“There isn’t much to say.”

Before either Blake or Kali could say something else, the door leading to the living room opened and a sighing Ghira appeared, smiling at her before making his way to Weiss and leaning down to kiss the crown of her head, his large hand landing on the smaller woman’s frail shoulder to squeeze it lightly. As he was leant down, her father whispered in her ear, but Blake heard it anyway.

“Sweetie, your scroll keeps ringing. Your father is trying to reach you again.”

The unreadable mask on the smaller woman’s face hardened as she nodded, but when he realised she wasn’t moving from her spot, Ghira sighed before leaving Weiss’ scroll on the table, purposefully sat in the smaller woman’s field of vision, and he returned inside, closing the door behind him.

Seeing the venomous glare Weiss sent at the scroll before she returned her eyes to the book in her hands, it made Blake and Kali glance at each other shortly, concern in both their stares, but before she could ask the smaller woman what was going on, she felt her ears flick as she could hear Yang’s voice. Turning towards it, Blake realised that the blonde and Baxter were slowly walking back towards the house, this time Yang toying with her prosthetic hand as she spoke.

“… to be careful, okay?” The blonde was saying, her voice low, and the boy was listening with rapt attention. “And if there’s anything, _anything_ at all, you know you can always ask us. Alright?”

Baxter nodded vehemently, nearly vibrating in place, but when Yang only stopped in her tracks to look at him, raising expectant eyebrows at him, it made him chuckle as he brought his hand up to his chest, tracing a cross over his heart.

“I promise. Cross my heart.”

Seemingly satisfied, Yang took a sharp breath in then, looking over the boy for a moment longer before pulling him in her arms to hug him gently, resting a protective hand on his head, the boy instantly looping his arms around her waist.

When they parted, Yang held him by the shoulders lightly, squeezing a bit.

“Close your eyes,” she said quietly, and Baxter instantly did, standing still as the blonde placed her left hand over his chest before closing her eyes too.

As Yang quietly spoke, her Aura flashed around her, bright yellow and a bit blinding even in the daylight, and Blake heard Weiss sigh beside her, noticing how wistfully the smaller woman was looking at the scene.

“… And by my shoulder, protect thee,” the blonde finished, opening her eyes.

Baxter’s form suddenly was wrapped in a flash of bright green light, and the boy opened his eyes with a gasp, looking down at his hands in quiet wonder as the light subsided. Releasing a breath, Yang clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

“I have to show it to Luna,” Baxter softly breathed, his eyes wide and round as he looked up at Yang, before a wide smile spread on his lips. “Thank you!”

Bounding at her, he wrapped her in a short, tight hug, before running away towards town, the excited smile never leaving his lips as he did. The blonde, on the other hand, only released a deep sigh before making her way towards the porch, making a beeline for Blake and, surprising her, Yang leaned over and kissed her, leaning her hands on the armrests.

Her noise of surprise muffled against her wife’s lips, she quickly abandoned her book as she reached up to cup the blonde’s cheek, her eyes falling shut as the blonde deepened the kiss, and she felt Yang’s left hand snake behind her neck to keep her there, humming quietly.

Someone cleared their throat loudly.

“Excuse me, but I’m trying to read over here,” they heard Weiss mutter.

Not even bothering pulling away, Yang pushed Weiss’ chair with her foot to make it turn on itself and away from them, earning a slightly offended scoff from the smaller woman and the sleepy grunt Angel let out when the chair bothered her, as the dog was dozing off at Weiss’ feet.

Still, the blonde finally pulled away, leaning her forehead to Blake’s as she kept her eyes closed, a bit breathless as she swallowed, furrowing her brows a bit.

“What was that for?” Blake asked in a breath, not minding at all, but still surprised by the boldness of it.

Yang took the time to catch her breath before taking in a sharp breath, and she opened her eyes to look up then, Yang’s lavender eyes drilled into hers.

“I love you,” the blonde simply said before straightening her back and disappearing inside, wordlessly.

Taken aback by the suddenness of this moment, Blake only blinked, her book forgotten in her lap as she still held a hand in mid-air, and the three women were staring at the door, confused.

“I think I’m going to sleep alone tonight,” Weiss quietly let out, giving the briefest nod to herself before returning her attention to her open book, the slight frown on her face still apparent.

 

****

 

That night, when they went to bed, Blake hesitated in the doorway as she glanced at the room in front of hers, seeing Weiss already settled in the bed and scowling deeply at the scroll in her hand as the sound of her nails angrily tapping against the screen could reach her ears as clearly as if she was right beside her. And when she looked inside her room, she could see Yang in bed, the covers up to her stomach as she was laying on her back, both her hands folded behind her head as she kept her eyes closed, seemingly waiting for her.

Glancing one last time to Weiss, noticing that the smaller woman had even moved Angel’s bed in the other room even though the dog was comfortably sprawled on the spot beside the smaller woman, she sighed, understanding that Weiss kept her word about sleeping alone.

And so, she stepped in her room, and closed the door behind her.

The quiet sound of the door clicking shut made Yang open her eyes and loll her head in her direction, a soft smile gracing her lips before a slight frown appeared on her face.

“No Weiss tonight?” The blonde guessed, shifting to her side.

Nodding silently, she crossed the space to sit on the edge of the bed, taking her wife’s hand when Yang offered it, and she gently ran her thumb over the scarred knuckles, knowing them by heart, now.

“She decided it was better to leave us alone.”

It made the blonde furrow her brows.

“Really? Why?”

She couldn’t help the quiet scoff she let out, making Yang blink as she was visibly taken aback, and Blake swallowed then, squeezing her hand tenderly as she locked her eyes with her wife’s, trying to find her answers there.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I am.”

“Really? With Baxter and his Aura and all that?”

There was a short silence.

“Yeah.”

“Do I really have to-”

“Look, it’s fine. Okay? I just…”

The blonde let out a deep sigh as she rolled on her back, but left her hand in Blake’s. Giving her all the time she needed to gather her thoughts, Blake only looked at her, still rubbing her thumb over Yang’s knuckles over and over again, keeping the motion soothing.

“I had a good talk with Bax, about Auras and Semblances,” the blonde started quietly, keeping her eyes to the ceiling. “About the responsibility of having one. About the _consequences_ of it,” she added, raising her right, prosthetic arm in front of her for emphasis.

Opening and closing her hand a few times as a silence settled over them, she could hear the discreet clacking of the panels as they moved, the quiet sound of the gears turning at it responded to the command, and Yang sighed again, closing her hand into a fist that she rested over her stomach.

“I tried to explain to him that having an Aura doesn’t make you invincible, nor that it makes you different than someone else.”

Her wife huffed softly, a smile pulling her lips.

“But he already knew that. He said that, with everything that happened to us, he would be a fool to not know.”

“But?” Blake softly let out, smart enough to know it was coming.

There was a long pause then, and Yang’s expression softened, a bit of sadness in her eyes.

“Sometimes he reminds me of Ruby so much,” the blonde murmured as she closed her eyes.

She felt a wave of sympathy towards her wife as she squeezed her hand, before she decided to lay down with her, noticing how Yang’s lips curled upward when Blake leaned her cheek on her shoulder, and as the silence stretched, she reached her free hand up, ghosting a finger along Yang’s nose, feeling the bump there, the remnant of an old broken nose.

Deciding to trace her wife’s features as she waited, she had the time to hover over her eyebrows, her nose, along her jaw and was now thumbing her lips until Yang kissed her fingers there, gently grasping the wandering hand with her prosthetic.

“He said he didn’t want us to worry, and that, if something happens, he wants to protect the people he cares about. He’s, like, super mature about it. Definitely more than I was at his age,” Yang added with a slight frown. “Then I just… understood. You know?”

“That he’s old enough to take his own decisions?” Blake tried, bumping her nose against the blonde’s cheek.

It made Yang chuckle quietly but she shook her head, before shifting so she could look at her, releasing a small sigh as she did.

“You’re right, but that’s not it,” the blonde smiled shortly. “I understood that _I_ was being immature with this. _I_ was the unfair one. Because I know, Gods, _I know_ that even if I want someone to be safe, I want them out of harm’s way, it’s… It’s out of my control. And I understood that the best thing I could do was to give my full support. And you were right,” she added, leaning over to peck the tip of her nose. “He knows I want him safe. And I know I can trust him, and I want him to know that I do. That, too, I understood at that moment.”

“So you’re really okay with this?” Blake breathed after a moment, and she felt a weight lift off her chest when Yang nodded instantly, without an ounce of hesitation.

“Yeah.”

“So…” she furrowed her brows, toying with one of the fingers of Yang’s prosthetic. “Why did it feel like something was wrong after? When you kissed me?”

“Oh something _was_ wrong,” the blonde nodded, her expression serious.

“What was it?” Blake asked, propping herself on her elbow. “You just said everything was fine!”

“Well, there were just too many people on the porch. I didn’t want to make a kid in front of your mother.”

“Make a-” interrupting herself, she blinked a few times at her wife’s growing grin, a bit lost. “What?”

“Baxter is old enough to do his own thing without us,” Yang rolled her eyes as if it was obvious. “So let’s make another kid.”

“You know it doesn’t work that way,” Blake let out, amused at her wife’s antics.

“Maybe we just didn’t try hard enough?” The blonde answered with a shrug, a lopsided grin pulling her lips.

Snorting as she shook her head, she leaned down to kiss her wife, humming when Yang instantly kissed her back, and she reached a hand up to cup her cheek, thumbing across her cheekbone as the blonde’s left hand slipped from her hand to settle on her lower back, teasing at the band of her shorts.

As she straddled Yang’s hips, letting the blonde’s hands wander under her shirt, she suddenly pulled away, an old uneasiness settling in the pit of her stomach.

“Yang?”

“Blake?”

“Do you really want a child?”

Taken aback by the suddenness of the question, her wife blinked before shifting a bit under her, seemingly knowing that she had to walk on eggshells with this subject.

“Only if you’re willing to.”

Instantly, she felt her heart sinking in her chest, and Yang raised a hand in front of her, seemingly understanding and wanting to prevent what was going to happen.

“Don’t apo-”

“I’m sorry.”

Yang stared at her with a sigh, dropping her hand on the mattress as she leaned over to hide her face in the blonde’s neck, buried somewhere in the sea of golden locks as she felt her ears flattening against her head.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured again against her wife’s neck.

“It’s okay, love, you know that,” Yang said in the same way right in her ear, circling her arms around her tenderly. “I mean, we can always see later. We’re still so young, anything can happen. And, if you don’t change your mind, then Baxter will be an only child and that’s perfectly alright too.”

Shifting closer to Yang, she decided to stay silent, trying to hide deeper in her wife’s neck. They had talked about this many times through the years, and it always ended the same way.

With Blake saying no.

Yang didn’t seem to mind too much, though every time she was sure she could see a bit of disappointment in her lilac eyes, but her wife had always assured her that she wasn’t. She kept saying that this was something they both had to be willing to, more than anything, and she also kept saying that it was one of the advantages of gay couples. Having a kid couldn’t happen by accident.

Well, except for them with Baxter.

She sometimes wondered if Yang wasn’t one of those ‘accidents’. Or Ruby.

“Are you okay?” Yang asked quietly, rubbing a hand across her back before leaving a soft kiss to her temple.

Nodding wordlessly, she let Yang gently push her back, leaning in her touch when the blonde tucked a few strands of dark hair behind her ear.

“You know there’s nothing to be sorry about,” her wife said in a soft tone, cupping her cheek and smiling when she nuzzled her hand. “Although, I just want you to picture it; a human being - Or faunus, not forgetting those cute ears – with my gorgeousness added with your cool, mysterious smoothness? Now _that_ would be quite the achievement. Gee, like, they would be _so_ attractive. Now I’m a bit jealous.”

It made Blake laugh softly, knowing that Yang was being silly on purpose and it effectively made the blonde smile, before Yang sat up, keeping her on her lap to take her lips in the softest kiss, always handling her with all the tenderness of the world.

The familiarity of it made her relax, and Yang kept kissing her until she was completely relaxed against her, one hand tangled in blonde hair and the other brushing over the blonde’s side, over and over again, until the motion became insistent, dragging her fingers a bit so that Yang’s tank top could be lifted up inch by inch. It made the blonde chuckle smoothly against her lips when she noticed it, and they finally parted, locking their eyes together.

Their mouth only inches apart, they could breathe each other’s breaths as they quietly panted, and as she stared into heated lilac eyes, she felt a slow smile pulling her lips when Yang’s eyes suddenly glanced down before returning on her.

“So, you ready to make that kid?”

Snorting, Blake only leaned over to take her lips again, ignoring the way Yang laughed against her as she slipped her hands under the blonde’s tank top, and she made her flop back against the mattress.

 

****

 

When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by luxurious plants, their long, vibrant green leafs seemingly stark against the white walls behind, and through them, seemingly poking out just to bring their colors, a myriad of flowers were scattered along the flowerbed. There were even tiny trees, still young enough to live peacefully amongst the flowers and other fern.

Ah, yes. She was in the garden, at the mansion.

She just couldn’t remember exactly _when_ she went back in Atlas.

She could hear the sound of the artificial stream nearby, and she turned around to look at it, realising that she was sitting at the lone table of the garden. The sky seemed to be cloudless outside, because there were rays of sun pooling through the large windows and giving a new shine to the healthy color of the plants around her.

It smelled like earth, flowers and… tea.

Tea? She only ever drank tea with her-

“Do you want a cup, Winter?”

Recognising the voice as she turned towards it with a quiet sigh, her eyes landed on her mother, who, in the hopes of reprieve from her, had wisely asked Klein to prepare a pot instead of her usual wine. Looking down, she could see the small, porcelain cup sitting in its saucer, and as she swallowed, there was still the bitter aftertaste of the black tea her mother liked so much.

“I am Weiss, Mother,” she said, trying to mute her annoyance, both for her name and for the question. “And no, thank you.”

As she laid her hands on her lap, her back straight and not even touching the back of it, she had to remind herself not to sigh when Willow furrowed her brows, before reaching for her pen and carnet, sitting discreetly by her mother’s elbow.

She watched with a slight pinch in her chest as her mother flipped the pages quickly to the marker, and she could see her starting writing the day’s date and she could see her name being written then, the dark ink stark against the pale page, before Willow stopped, and she knew her mother had glanced up to see the exact same thing written a line above.

Looking away as her mother silently crossed out what she had started writing, she felt her guts churn a bit, the bitter taste on her tongue not the simple result of the tea anymore.

“Are you sure you don’t want tea?” Willow tried with a feeble smile, knowing that she had said the wrong name now. Again. “I can’t drink all of it alone.”

The idea of telling her mother that she had already drank more than her fill of tea crossed her mind, but she knew Willow would be embarrassed by it. And she was way passed trying to set her mother back on track, now.

“Fine,” she finally sighed, returning her attention to the woman in front of her, not missing the way she perked up at that. “Just the one.”

“Of course,” her mother delicately let out with a slight bow of her head, before reaching over and pouring the tea herself.

A silence settled over them as they both sipped at their cups, Weiss not particularly willing to start a conversation that might never end somewhere as Willow was paging through her carnet, seemingly searching for something.

As she sat her tea back on its saucer, she promised to herself she would never drink tea again. The simple taste reminded her too much of those silence, or broken record-like conversations with her mother.

“It has been a while since the last time we saw each other,” Willow said, a slight frown gracing her features as she was still staring at the contents of her carnet. “Nearly a full month.”

Trying to ignore the note of sadness in the woman’s voice and how it pained her, Weiss cleared her throat quietly, wetting her lips.

“I know, and I am saddened by the space of our meetings, Mother,” she started, earning her mother’s attention right away. “But as I am departing for Beacon in less than a week, I had many things to prepare, as I had to train, too.”

“Already?” Again, a touch of sadness veiled her mother’s pale eyes as Willow glanced down, but the expression didn’t stay long as she looked up again. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today, then, if you had so many things to prepare?”

“I simply wanted to know how you were before I left, Mother,” she let out quietly, turning her head to look over the stream, the sun reflecting on the water easily catching the eye.

“Well, that it very kind of you. But you shouldn’t waste your time on the horrible mother I am.”

Frowning with a blink at the sudden change of tone, she returned her attention on her mother as the woman started scribbling in the carnet, her hand frantic.

“I beg your pardon?”

The sun, shining bright up until now, seemed to suddenly dim considerably at that, and she looked up over her shoulder curiously, seeing the eclipse well in progress, and it made her pause, puzzled. She didn’t know there was an eclipse, today, and she hadn’t realised it starting, too.

A hand landing heavily on her arm made her jump, effectively knocking her cup over and spilling hot tea on the bottom of the platter as she clicked her tongue loudly, looking back at her mother with a glare.

“What are you doing? Can’t you be-”

She interrupted herself when she realised that Willow’s eyes were focused on the eclipse still progressing, dimming the light of the room faster than it normally would, and she noticed her mother muttering silently, her lips moving quickly in a silent prayer.

“Mother?” She called quietly, and could feel the pinpricks of fear coursing through her veins. “Wha- What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Leave.”

The word, breathed passed Willow’s lips, only resulted with the grip on her arm tightening painfully, the fingers digging and nails biting her skin, and she glanced down at it before looking up, panic rising like tide inside of her, now.

“Mother?”

“Leave! While there’s still time!”

As the light around them kept dimming, she could hear this buzzing white noise, quiet and imperceptible at first, that steadily grew louder and louder until it covered the sound of the stream beside her, the sounds of her mother scribbling furiously in her carnet, drowning Willow’s pleas for her to leave, until it grew to be unbearable as she reached her free hand to her ear, pressing to try and muffle the noise.

“Mother, what’s going on?” She felt herself say, not even hearing it.

Willow thrusted the carnet over to her, and a sudden gust of wind picked up, which was impossible since they were inside, but as the wind turned the pages over she could see her name, written over and over again, filling the pages of the rest of the carnet until it reached the end, where the ink was darkening the page in almost its entirety, her name written so many times it was blackening the page.

Then, as she looked at it, the ink spilled out of the page, dripped on the floor and started moving on its own, dark and stark against the white marble.

Jumping to her feet as the crushing hold on her arm vanished, seeing the ink, that had taken a strangely familiar, denser texture, bolt towards her at the same time the eclipse reached its completion, she was left in complete darkness, all the noise that had surrounded her instantly stopping.

As darkness surrounded her, with the sound of her own pants echoing strangely the only noise she could hear, she saw, far away, two blood-red eyes narrow slightly, entirely pleased by the scene.

////

Jerking awake with a scream just shy her lips, she was held down by a heavy weight on top of her, pinning her back by the shoulders, and she had to blink a few times to realise that she could see the wood of a ceiling, recognise the sound of the waves of the nearby beach along with the quiet whines of Angel.

Feeling her warm tongue licking her chin, she closed her eyes in relief, bringing a hand up to pet the dog’s head to reassure her, before running a hand into her hair, plucking the locks that stuck to her forehead as she was covered in sweat.

A dream. It had only been a dream, again. Sometimes she wondered if she wasn’t just going crazy.

She focused on taking deep, steadying breaths as she still felt her heart pounding against her ribcage, Angel silently nuzzling her snout against her neck before staying there was a solid, reassuring reminder that indeed, it had only been a dream.

Draping an arm over her eyes, she let out a deep sigh, scowling. She had always hated dreaming of her mother, but she figured it was a given, considering... Considering her father and his non-stop calls. And now this?

Suddenly feeling too hot as the embers of anger flared in the pit of her stomach, she moved Angel aside with a huff, the dog rolling over with a groan and a pitiful sigh, and she was halfway to sit up when she stopped, her anger vanishing as terror paralysed her with an ice-cold hold.

In the corner of her eyes, in the shadows of the room, she could see it. The same dark silhouette, and she could feel the weight of its blood-red eyes on her like a thousand daggers into her skin.

Her breath suddenly catching in her throat, she felt her heart start pounding again, adrenaline coursing through her veins as her entire being screamed danger, but she was frozen there, the hold she had on the covers rending her knuckles bone-white and trembling.

Sensing that something was wrong, Angel crawled closer, whining insistently as the dog flopped down on her lap, and her sudden presence seemed to throw her back into motion.

Releasing a shaky breath, she pulled the covers back and well over her shoulders, only keeping her eyes in view, and hid her face in the dog’s collar, her warmth and solidity reassuring as she tried to find solace in it.

All she wanted was to run to the other room and hide between Blake and Yang, but she wanted to leave them be for tonight. And, she _will_ have to start dealing with this one day or another. She _had_ to be able to get rid of it alone.

She couldn’t always rely on Blake to wave it away.

“It’s just a dream,” she muttered to herself, closing her eyes forcibly as she was shaking like a leaf. “It’s not there, there’s nothing there, it’s just a dream.”

All through the night, she kept repeating these words like a prayer, her terror holding her in its grasp as she still felt the weight of a stare on her until the first lights of day, the sun sending warm rays and illuminating the room, and only then she felt herself relax, and almost instantly she fell asleep, exhausted, slipping into deep, dreamless slumber.

 

****

 

It was still a bit early when she stepped out of the shower, but she felt energized as she left a quick kiss on Yang’s lips when the blonde crossed her path in the hallway, going to shower after her, and she was returning to her room to finish packing when she stopped in front of the door of the room across from hers, seeing it left ajar for Angel to wander out of it if she pleased.

Silently poking her head inside, she could see Weiss’ form under the blankets, seemingly still sleeping as there was only a river of ivory hair that slipped and spilled on the pillowcase, she raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Weiss was the one to always lecture them about punctuality, and now she was the one to sleep in?

Taking a step in, one of the floorboards creaked quietly under her weight, and she saw Angel’s head perking up on the other side of the smaller woman, the dog silently wagging her tail. As she stopped beside the bed, expecting Angel to stand excitedly to try and come closer, evidently waking Weiss up on the process, she was surprised to see the dog only lay her head on top of the smaller woman’s form with a deep sigh, raising her mismatched eyes at her.

It made her frown slightly, her eyes lowering to Weiss’ form.

The smaller woman seemed to be curled up on herself tightly, and she knew this position could never be a relaxed one. Plus, the fact that Weiss had basically hid under the covers was also out of the smaller woman’s sleeping habits.

Setting a knee on the bed as she was about to wake the other woman gently, the bed dipped under her weight, and Weiss, being the light sleeper that she was, almost jumped out of her skin when she felt it.

Swiftly rolling away and effectively entangling herself in the blankets on the way, Weiss fell off the bed with a loud thud when she visibly wanted to lean on her knee but found it stuck, and Blake quickly jumped closer, crawling on all four to look over the edge of the bed as Weiss tried to get rid of the blankets, her eyes wide as white-hot panic filled them.

“Weiss?” Blake called, now definitely worried as she quickly got off the bed to kneel beside her, helping her with the blankets.

Freezing her struggles for a second as Angel came crashing down on her, licking every inches of skin of Weiss’ neck and chin, she saw Weiss’ pale eyes slowly look up at her, blinking in recognition, before turning to the end of the room, her eyes visibly searching for something.

“Hey, you okay?” She tried again, tentatively reaching over to lightly grasp her shoulder.

Only now did she realise how the smaller woman was trembling, the muscles tense under her hand, and it made her shift closer, but before she could say something more she saw Weiss close her eyes in relief, her frame seemingly deflating under her hand.

“I’m fine.”

The smaller woman’s slender hand came up to wrap around her wrist, squeezing lightly as she opened her eyes again, but she only scoffed, decidedly sitting on the floor in front of her.

“Are you kidding me?” She almost snapped, instantly earning Weiss’ gaze on her, seeing her shoulders droop a bit. “Weiss, you were one step away from jumping out the window in fear!”

“I’m okay,” Weiss said forcefully, her grip tightening on her wrist. “It was just a dream. I’m fine.”

Finally realising what had happened, Blake let out a weary sigh as she pulled the smaller woman in her arms, Weiss obediently leaning over and instantly curled up against her as she looped her arms around her small frame, holding her close and hoping she could provide some sense of security to the smaller woman.

Her wish was granted when Weiss leaned her cheek against her shoulder, tucking her nose right under her jaw as the smaller woman instantly relaxed against her. Still, she rubbed a hand over her arm soothingly, leaning her back against the bed as she looked outside through the window, pressing a kiss against the crown of Weiss’ head.

“You could have told us,” she murmured against Weiss’ silky hair, nuzzling there. “You didn’t have to stay alone.”

“I wasn’t alone,” the smaller woman replied in the same way just as Angel was snaking between Weiss’ arms, letting her presence known. “Besides, you were… busy.”

Letting out a noisy breath through her nose to let her know that she didn’t agree with that, Weiss only hid deeper into her neck, holding Angel a bit tighter to her, but ultimately didn’t say anything else.

“Was it the same as usual?” She wanted to know, drawing circles with her thumb on the woman’s shoulder.

A simple nod against her neck was her answer.

“Do you maybe want to talk ab-”

A swift shake of the white head interrupted her, and she sighed again, setting her chin on top of Weiss’ head, not caring about the time passing by as she held the smaller woman close to her for a moment more, and outside, she heard the cawing of a raven as a black bird flew by, out the window.

 

****

 

They were all reluctant to leave, and Kali and Ghira held them closely against them, wishing them safe travels, and Ghira promised that he would come visit soon, crossing his heart just like Baxter did. As for the boy, he nearly broke their spine in half as he hugged them tightly, and for a second Blake had been sure Weiss would literally snap under the crushing hold.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, and Blake spent the time sunbathing on the deck of the ship, with Weiss sleeping soundly against left shoulder while Yang played a videogame on her scroll, leaning on her right side.

And as soon as they left the fresh air of the car, thanks to the air conditioning, in front of the house, Weiss started complaining.

“Ugh,” the smaller woman dragged her feet to the trunk of the car to retrieve her luggage. “Why is it _so_ humid, here? It feels like a blow to the gut…”

Chuckling as she handed Weiss’ white suitcase, Yang only eyed her knowingly.

“Yeah, I get the feeling. At least, Menagerie’s dry.”

“I feel like my vitality is being drained,” the smaller woman kept muttering, dragging her luggage noisily on the front lawn, Angel’s leash hanging on the very tip of her fingers as the dog obediently followed to the step. “I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything productive today.”

“You won’t be doing much for a couple of days, then,” Blake let out, thumbing at the screen of her scroll. “Today is only the beginning of a heat wave.”

As Weiss unlocked the door and pushed it open, the smaller woman groaned loudly, effectively making both her and Yang chuckle in synch.

And Blake had been right. For the house had no air conditioning system, the heat rising during the day was heavy, sat uncomfortably on their chests and rending them as motionless as possible, for simply breathing caused them to be covered in sweat.

It was without saying that their sleeping arrangement was also starting to be a problem, for three bodies in a single bed generated a _lot_ of heat.

And it was on one of those mornings that Blake rolled over, grimacing as she left the wet spot where she had rested all night, pushing the blankets farther from her feet and hopefully off the bed, and it was only when she opened her eyes that she realised that Weiss wasn’t in bed with them.

Propping herself on her elbow, she furrowed her brow, noticing that the smaller woman’s pillow was nowhere to be seen, too. And that the room was strangely silent, as Yang’s snores weren’t filling it.

Nobody has had a good night’s rest in days, ever since the start of the heat wave.

Leaning over with a sigh, already knowing what she would see, it was without surprise that she found Weiss on the floor, in her underwear, lying flat and motionless as a deep scowl was on her face, Angel sprawled a few feet away in the same way.

“Weiss.”

The scowl on the smaller woman’s face only deepened as she stubbornly kept her eyes closed, and Angel didn’t even move a muscle at the sound of her voice.

“I wish I could just take an ice-cold bath all day long,” was the only thing Weiss muttered.

“Same,” she quietly sighed, falling back on the bed as she pushed back a few sweaty locks, trying to ignore the joyous chirping of birds outside.

Yang suddenly moved, sitting up before wordlessly grabbing the first clothes she saw, as she was too wearing as little as possible, before wordlessly walking out of the room, and she didn’t even bother asking where she was going.

“I knew I should have been the one to call for the air conditioning,” Weiss was still grumbling in her pillow. “They would know better than make a Schnee wait. I could always call them back and pay double for them to put us in priority.”

“Weiss, you know they’re in over their heads,” Blake sighed tiredly, running a hand over her face. “Everyone wants one for yesterday.”

Distantly, she heard the front door closing, soon followed by the car starting up, and it made her frown, wondering _where_ Yang was going. She had assumed her wife would just start her day, but it seemed the blonde had something else in mind, and if she hadn’t even bothered telling them, it was either because she wanted it to be a surprise, or because she was just too tired and annoyed to.

Nevertheless, a soft, faint breeze blew in from the open window, for they had hoped the night would hold a bit of fresher air, and she closed her eyes, hearing the rustle of the wind in the leaves of the nearby trees. It made her smile a bit.

Today, there was wind. She hoped it would be enough for a reprieve.

She woke up hours later, the sound of the front door closing with a bit more force than necessary waking her, and she realised that Weiss had finally relented, now situated on the other side of the bed, as far away from her as possible and closer to the window, taking advantage of the sporadic breeze to cool her off and get a bit of sleep. Her attention was brought back towards the door when she heard Angel’s claws on the floor, the dog walking away and towards the living room, curiously going to see what was going on.

Dozing off for a couple more times, it wasn’t until she heard the happy barking of Angel that she opened her eyes, before deciding to see what Yang was doing.

She found her wife in the backyard, wearing the top of her yellow bikini along with a pair of short shorts, a pair of sunglasses sitting on her nose and her hair tied up, as an inflatable pool, rectangle and the blue of it almost hurting her eyes, was sitting near the porch, and the blonde was filling it with water as she sometimes would spray water towards the dog with a smile, sticking her thumb on the exit of the water hose to add more pressure.

Maybe she had let out a gasp or made a sound because Yang turned to her then, looking at her over her sunglasses with a large, satisfied smile pulling her lips.

“Hey,” the blonde smoothly let out before motioning to the house with her chin. “Could you tell your majesty that it’s nearly ready?”

Ignoring what she had said for a moment, she crossed the distance in a few strides before crashing their lips together, Yang humming in surprise a bit before chuckling against her lips.

“Thank you,” Blake breathed, peppering her face with kisses as the blonde laughed, faking struggling to get away. “I love you. I’ll be right back.”

She ran back inside the house, her wife’s laugh ringing in her ears and making her heart stutter a moment.

Weiss, once changed and in front of the pool, stared Yang dead in the eyes, deaf to the blonde’s warnings about the drastic change of temperatures as she climbed in and sat in the pool in a second flat, water up to her chin and making the blonde’s warnings stop in a stuttering halt.

Soon, the three of them were in the pool, closing their eyes in bliss as they could finally cool off.

“It took so long because the stores were all out of stock,” Yang sighed as she leaned back against the edge of the pool, her arms settled on the rim of it. “And it was the only one left. I would have taken one that was a bit bigger, but… At least we can sit comfortably.”

Both she and Weiss nodded silently, grateful for the blonde’s idea as the sun mercilessly shone on them, and routine slowly fell on them as the heatwave subsided, but the pool stayed, Weiss seemingly taking the most of it as it seemed to be her new favorite place.

They finally got the air conditioning system installed, one in their room and another in the living room just to be sure, but Weiss still preferred to work on her scroll, comfortably sitting in the pool with her sunhat sitting on her head and a margarita in hand, with Yang that accompanied her most of the time.

The blonde had discovered that she made mean margaritas, and even Blake liked them. Still, it made her smile to see Weiss, comfortably sitting in the pool with her eyes glued to the screen of her scroll, wordlessly raising her empty glass above her head only for Yang to come waltzing out of the house, plucking her empty glass from her hand to exchange it with a full one.

Yang was still going to her group therapy weekly, and she even seemed to make friends there as the blonde had told her that the group was planning for an outdoor activity, and Blake was also pursuing her meetings. But there was never a time that they left Weiss alone at the house.

Although they had never really talked about it before, Blake had been apprehensive of alcohol in the house, as they knew about Weiss’ mother, but the smaller woman never gave them reason to worry. She could nurse her margarita for hours before asking for another.

One time, however, as she was coming back from her meeting with her psychiatrist, she could hear Weiss and Yang talking quietly, outside in the backyard. She couldn’t discern what they were saying for it was muffled, but their tones were low, serious, and curious, she silently padded closer, deciding to spy on them for a moment to not break the conversation.

Instantly she knew that both women had drunk more than they usually would as she could see them blink slowly, hear their words were a bit slurred, and Weiss had abandoned her scroll on the table on the porch. Tall glasses were in their hands, and Blake glanced over to the counter in the kitchen, trying to know what they were drinking. A bottle of vodka sat triumphantly there, right beside the bottle of cranberry juice, and she returned her attention outside with a slight frown, wondering what kind of conversation had required something stronger than margaritas.

“I know, okay?” Weiss was saying, exchanging her drink to her other hand as she shifted in her corner of the pool. “I know she’s the woman who brought me to life, who birthed me. But was she really a mother, to me? To Winter or Whitley?”

Ah, Blake thought, deciding to crack the glass door open, cool air be damned, so she could listen while sitting in the couch and out of view. Now, she understood the choice of alcohol.

Even if they knew a bit more about Weiss’ mother, the woman was still pretty much wrapped in mystery, as it was the only side of her life that Weiss had ferociously kept for herself. She was just happy that she could talk to Yang about it, however deeply she wanted to.

“Still,” Yang let out after a moment, her voice serious. “I don’t think it deserves ignoring it altogether.”

“I’m not _ignoring_ it,” Weiss instantly replied. “I’m… just not going.”

“Weiss, hun, it’s been a year,” the blonde tried, her voice softening. “I don’t think you ever got the time to grieve properly. I think you should go.”

She could almost hear Weiss gritting her teeth even from here.

“Why would I pay my respect for a woman I know nothing about? Who was never there? Who let me, let _us_ live through father’s ways, without _ever_ showing a sign of concern for us?”

“In her letter-”

“It’s a letter, Yang. Even I can write something that looks true on her good and loving motherly presence.”

“It’s a bit unfair, don’t you think?”

“What would you do?”

The question was followed by a silence, and for a moment she wondered if she should let her presence known but Yang spoke before she could take her decision.

“It’s not the same.”

“Is it?” She could almost picture how Weiss tilted her head to the side, hearing the smaller woman’s tone and knowing that she was scrutinising the blonde for any reaction. “A woman who is your mother, who gave you life but abandoned you soon after. Still around but not there. Failing to protect you when you need it most, and then claiming your ties with her.”

Another crushing silence followed, and she decided to chance a glance outside, hoping that Yang wasn’t about to destroy something out of anger, but to her surprise the blonde seemed to be calmly considering the smaller woman in front of her, a thoughtful look on her face.

“I’d still go.”

There was a short pause as Weiss seemed to reel from her answer, and against, the smaller woman grinded her teeth together.

“Why?” She snapped, hissing through gritted teeth.

“Because she’s my mother,” the blonde answered with a simple shrug. “I wouldn’t be here today without her.”

A stunned silence followed, soon traded by Weiss’ bitter laugh as the smaller woman lowered her head, shaking it lightly.

“Well, you have always been kinder than me,” Weiss quietly let out. “And speaking of kindness, how about Summer?”

Blake straightened her back instantly, alarmed.

“From the way you and Ruby kept talking about her, she seems like the _best_ mother someone could ever have. Like Kali-level of motherly. So, why don’t you ever go on her grave?”

“Weiss-”

“She’s the one who raised you, after your mother has abandoned you. She’s the one who brought Ruby into the world. She’s the one who loved you in _her_ place. So why don’t you?”

She wondered shortly if Weiss was genuinely curious or if she was only trying to be mean.

“Because she’s Ruby’s mom, not mine.”

“So what?” Weiss instantly exclaimed, and she heard the splash of water that followed as the smaller woman probably threw a hand in the air. “I would gladly pay my respects for someone who showed me real affection, someone who I truly cared about even if we’re not related-”

“But you do care about your mom,” Yang sharply cut in, apparently having enough. “You did care enough to try-”

“And it didn’t change anything!”

There was an audible waver in Weiss’ voice, enough to make both of them pause for a moment, and Blake silently returned to the couch, sitting on the edge of it and waiting.

“It didn’t change anything,” the smaller woman repeated, this time a lot quieter than before. “She just didn’t care about me. About what I was trying to do. She blatantly ignored-”

“She tried to make amends, hun,” Yang softly chided in. “It might be a bit clumsily made, but the letter she gave you was exactly that.”

“But how could I forgive her? How _can_ I forgive her?”

There was a slushing sound as one of them probably moved around, and after leaning over and giving a quick look she saw that Yang had shifted closer to hug the smaller woman gently, leaning over to set her glass on the ground.

“Maybe when you go and admit to her that she hurt you, you’ll find a way.”

Slowly, reluctantly, Weiss raised a hand to set it on the blonde’s back, accepting the affection Yang was providing.

“This is ridiculous,” the smaller woman muttered against the blonde’s shoulder, and Blake didn’t even need to see her to know she was scowling. “She can’t say anything back.”

It made Yang snort then, a playful smirk pulling her lips.

“Lately it seems like it’s what you need,” the blonde said, motioning to Angel who was lying in the grass nearby, dozing off in the shade of a tree.

The slap that followed was resounding, but it only made Yang laugh as she pulled away to look at Weiss for a moment more, gently tucking a stray strand of white behind her ear.

“And whether you decide to go or not, you know we’ll be right here with you.”

Sighing in relief as the conversation seemed to have ended, Blake stood, prepared to make her presence known.

That night, it was one of the rare times that Weiss _asked_ to be held, and she so very gladly obliged, slotting herself against the smaller woman’s back in the same way Weiss always did to her until she heard the tiny, content sigh the smaller woman let out.

It was also the first time that Weiss snored, and Yang even recorded it on her scroll, wanting to show it to her the next day.

 

****

 

It was maybe a week later after she stumbled upon their conversation that Blake was reading in the living room, not minding the sound of the A/C as she preferred this to the suffocating heat outside, until a sharp, short knock at the front door bothered her.

Looking up towards the noise, blinking a few times to focus her vision, she could see a tall shadow on the other side of the blurry glass of the door, and after marking the page she was at, went to open the door.

Before staring openly at the person there, blinking.

Winter Schnee turned to her as soon as she heard the door being opened, before offering a small, shockingly genuine smile.

“Miss Belladonna,” the older woman greeted with a slight bow of her head, her hands clasped behind her back making the gesture all too apparent. “I am glad to see you well.”

When the woman offered a hand, Blake gingerly went to take it, shaking herself into motion, and Winter grabbed her arm and squeezed firmly, a gesture she had seen amongst military personnel during the war. When she looked up into Winter’s pale eyes, so similar to Weiss’, she could see the relief in them as the specialist sat a light hand to her shoulder.

“I have been without news for too long,” Weiss’ sister added, pulling away after a slight nod.

Her eyes left Blake’s to search the space behind her, a crease forming between the woman’s pale eyebrows.

“Is my sister here?”

“Yes,” she finally found her voice, decidedly pushing her surprise aside to take a step back, opening the door wider. “Come in!”

With a grateful nod, Winter stepped inside before discreetly looking around, seemingly taking in the furniture and decoration as Blake closed the door behind them and moving towards the back of the house, waving for the specialist to come along.

“What are you doing in Vale?” Blake asked as they rounded the corner of the couch to cross the living room. “Did Weiss know you were here?”

“I’m just passing, actually,” the woman smoothly answered, still glancing around. “I just landed.”

The information made her frown a bit. If she knew anything about the Schnee family, it was that they really liked their schedule, and even if Weiss and Winter were closer than any other member of the family, she knew the oldest liked to schedule their meeting.

Still, before she could say anything more, the glass-door leading to the backyard opened and Yang entered, holding two empty glasses in one hand precariously with her tongue poking out.

“Oh hey Blake, could you-” The blonde started as she closed the door before looking up, and she paused, utterly surprise to see the person silently following her around. “Winter!”

A large smile spread on her lips, and after abandoning what she was carrying on the nearest table without a care in the world, confidently offered her left arm to Winter. It made the specialist smile then, grasping the blonde’s arm and clapping a hand on her shoulder like she had done with Blake, although Winter took a moment longer to carefully look her up and down, a glimpse of worry in her eyes.

“I heard about your injury,” the woman said, her expression suddenly serious as she pulled away.

Blowing a raspberry with a self-assured wave in front of her, the blonde only smiled as she looked up at Winter, genuinely happy to see her again.

“I landed right back on my feet,” Yang said with a slight shrug, before pointing at her. “Even Blake is jealous about it.”

It made her roll her eyes as the corner of Winter’s lips twitched, seemingly amused by the reaction.

“But I didn’t know you were coming,” the blonde continued, her expression curious. “Weiss didn’t say anything about it.”

“It’s because she doesn’t know,” the oldest assured, and they both didn’t miss the way the woman’s shoulders dropped slightly. “She would, if she answered her scroll sometimes.”

“Ah,” the smile on Yang’s lips disappeared with a quiet sigh, taking in a more serious tone. “I figure this isn’t just a courtesy visit, then?”

Pinching her lips imperceptibly, Winter dipped her head.

“I’m afraid not.”

Her wife sighed again as she reached a hand behind her neck to rub it, looking back at the glass door with a wince.

“Fair warning, then,” Yang let out, looking back at them. “She’s not in the greatest mood.”

It made Winter huff as the specialist straightened her back, a small, discreet amused smile gracing her lips.

“I can imagine. Between ignoring mine and Father’s calls, it surely dug on her patience.”

There was a bitter note to her words as Yang grimaced a bit in sympathy, and Blake took her cue, leading Winter outside to the backyard as they could see, turning her back to them, the ramrod line of Weiss’ shoulders over the rim of the pool as the smaller woman thumbed away on her scroll.

“Hey, starlight?” Blake called, stopping on the edge of the porch.

Not bothering with an answer, Weiss turned, a deep scowl on her face as her eyes were glued to the screen of her scroll, before bothering to glance up at her.

Waiting as she crossed her arms over her chest, she could see in the corner of her eyes that Winter wordlessly tilted her head to the side, clasping her hands behind her back, her, too, seemingly curious as to how the smaller woman was going to react.

The scowl on Weiss’ face deepened as she waited for Blake to say whatever she needed to say, apparently not noticing the woman in Atlas’ military attire beside her.

“What, Blake?” The smaller woman imperiously asked with a short, tight sigh, glancing up again. “I don’t have time for your puzzles-”

Suddenly freezing as she did a double take towards them, Weiss’ eyes widened with a gasp, now very aware of Winter standing beside her as the specialist huffed in amusement.

Abruptly standing with her scroll clutched in her hand but forgotten for the moment, Weiss gaped for a second, trying to find something to say.

“Winter,” the smaller woman finally managed to let out. “What- What a surprise!”

The snort coming from the eldest sister was resounding.

“Is it really?” Winter sarcastically said, arching a single eyebrow. “You should have known better than to keep ignoring Father’s calls on such a delicate matter.”

“So you’re here on Father’s orders,” Weiss figured, her features hardening as her free hand curled into a fist by her side.

“I have to say that he didn’t have to force my hand more than that, as visiting you have been on my mind for a while, now. You could at least have answered my calls,” the oldest sister added in a softer tone, her affection now apparent in her eyes.

Guiltily hunching over, the smaller woman nibbled at her lip for a second before gesturing at herself and the pool, steeling her posture and expression.

“Let me change, and then we can talk.”

 

****

 

As Yang was happily giving Winter the grand tour of the house, Blake had followed Weiss towards their room, Angel, who had been snoring happily in the shade of a tree, now following lazily as her claws clicked on the floor behind them.

“She’s right,” Weiss was muttering under her breath, her strides stiff and telling of her anger. “I should have known Father would come bothering me _at my door_.”

As the smaller woman kept grumbling incomprehensively under her breath, she turned on the left, entering her room and made a beeline for the walk-in, sliding the door of her side open as Blake gingerly sat on the bed, crossing her legs, and she didn’t even say anything when Angel climbed on the bed, too. But when the dog rolled on her side, sprawled there, and Angel’s head rested mere inches from her knee, she carefully moved away.

“What’s going on?” She asked, already having an idea of what was happening but Weiss didn’t know she had listened in, the other time.

“It’s nothing,” Weiss grumbled in the depths of the walk-in, soon followed by the sound of fabric rustling. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not worried, it’s just that I seem to be the _only one_ who doesn’t know what’s going on,” Blake rolled her eyes.

A loud, annoyed sigh sounded in response, and she waited as the sound of Weiss furiously pushing articles of clothing aside on the pole was heard, the sharp screech of the metallic hangers against it making her ears lower a bit each time.

Yang had been wrong. Weiss wasn’t just ‘not in the greatest mood’, she was downright pissed at everyone and everything.

Still, her patience was rewarded when, after the screeches subsided to be traded with the whisper of fabric rustling slightly, Weiss stepped back in sight wearing a light dress with a strange expression on her face, nervously toying and pulling her fingers one by one.

“It’s been a year,” the smaller woman suddenly blurted out. “Since the attack on the mansion. A year since…”

The sound of her finger cracking sounded in the silence of the room, effectively earning Weiss’ attention on her hands as she instantly let go, and Blake could see her drive her thumbnail in the skin of her index finger, relentless, as the smaller woman swallowed thickly, letting out a quiet breath.

“Father wants me to go and pay my respects,” Weiss finished in a whisper.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Blake said, making sure her voice didn’t sound accusing. “You know we’ll go with you if you want.”

The last thing she wanted was for Weiss to shut her out, but the smaller woman hardly minded as she shifted, a troubled expression on her face as her pale-blue eyes were locked on the floor, her thumb moving harshly against her finger.

“If I go,” Weiss started quietly, “I think I’ll go alone.”

Surprised by the answer, she felt her eyebrows climb high on her forehead as she perked up, but before she could say something Weiss beat her to it, looking back at her with a suddenly determined expression.

“It’s something I have to do myself.”

Blake smiled then, gesturing at Weiss.

“Seems like it’s going to be a short talk with Winter, then.”

 

****

 

“Blake, you’re crushing me,” she heard, muted against her shoulder, and she only squeezed a bit tighter in response, deaf to the resounding grunt that followed.

“Call us if there’s anything,” she was murmuring in Weiss’ ear, her nose buried in the smaller woman’s pale locks. “Don’t hesitate.”

“I will, if you don’t break my spine first,” came the grumbled answer.

Finally she pulled away and Weiss greedily took a deep, exaggeratedly loud breath in that even made Winter roll her eyes, but the smaller woman’s melodrama was soon cut short by a gasp of horror as Yang stepped forward, meaning to get a hold of her.

“Be careful,” the blonde chirped in as Yang looped her arms in a surprisingly tender hold around the smaller woman, petting the white head with her left hand. “And, yeah. Call us if there’s anything. With the both of us, we can hijack an airship to get you in a wink.”

It made Weiss snort against the blonde’s shoulder, but the white head still nodded dutifully before the smaller woman took a deep breath, decidedly pulling away.

“I will, don’t worry.”

“And you,” Blake turned to Angel, calmly sitting by Weiss’ feet with her vest already on. “Take good care of her. And if you do, there will be the biggest bone money can by waiting for you when you get back.”

The dog merely tilted her head to the side, perking her ears a bit taller as Yang was peppering kisses all over the side of one very annoyed Weiss who only let out a deep sigh, seemingly resigned to her fate as she wasn’t trying to get away.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can. Hopefully, I won’t have to sleep alone.”

Winter arched an eyebrow as the specialist looked down at her sister, a bit confused, while Yang pulled away in sudden seriousness.

“Hey, you take all the time you need,” the blonde was already waving Weiss’ words aside with a reassuring hand. “And, I mean, wouldn’t it be a bit jackass to come back the very same day?”

When Weiss only shrugged, an unreadable mask on her face, Blake frowned slightly.

“I don’t have other business than going to the mausoleum. I can make it in the same day.”

“Weiss, don’t be ridiculous,” she decided to step in gently. “You don’t have to hurry. Spend the night, it’s okay. Besides, you won’t be alone,” she added, pointing with her chin at Angel.

Weiss’ pale-blue eyes lowered to her dog as her features imperceptibly hardened, but she still nodded, conceding the point.

“Alright. Then I will call you tonight.”

“Okay! We’ll wait for you!”

The cheerful comment made the smaller woman’s lips twitch up in a soft smile as Weiss nodded again, and, squaring her shoulders, she decidedly stepped out of the house, Winter and Angel in tow.

The oldest sister took the driver seat as Weiss was settling her handbag on the backseat, along with Angel, before she took the front passenger’s seat, and soon the car Winter had rented pulled away from the front of the house, quickly disappearing when it rounded the corner.

Staying on the front lawn and staring at where the car vanished from view a moment more, her attention was drawn to her side when she heard Yang let out a sigh, and she could see the crinkle between her wife’s eyebrows. She reached to her hand, lacing her fingers with Yang’s lightly and effectively earning a small smile.

“She’ll be fine,” the blonde told her with a nod, seemingly to reassure both of them. “Plus, she has Angel with her.”

Her wife nodded again, her expression growing worried by the second.

“We’ll just have to wait for her call.”

“Hm. I wonder what we can do in the meantime.”

It earned Yang’s attention back with a slight snort, her lilac eyes glinting with mirth.

“What do you mean, you ‘wonder what we can do’? We can do anything!”

“Do you mind a spar, then?”

“A spar?” The blonde raised her eyebrows in surprise, but it was quickly overruled by the same playfulness from a moment ago. “Why would I mind a spar against my beautiful, lovely wife that I love and adore? It would be my _pleasure_ to spar with you,” her wife added, winking for emphasis of the word.

Rolling her eyes with a huff, she tugged on Yang’s hand to lead her back inside, then to the backyard, making it clear that she had meant a _literal_ spar.

 

****

 

Even with the SDC private airship, built to be faster than the ones usually used to carry more people, the flight was still very long, and they were both in bed and asleep as it was well into the night when Blake’s scroll vibrated furiously on the nightstand, with the ringtone she had set for Weiss to make _sure_ she wouldn’t miss it, and she quickly shook Yang’s shoulder to wake her up as she leaned over, flicking the bedside lamp on and catching her scroll on the way.

She was settling back with her back leaned against the headboard when she answered the call, and the first thing Weiss saw when the call went through was Yang’s unceremonious yawn. The smaller woman, seemingly sitting at a desk as she had leant her chin in her hand to look at the screen, her hair down, the room behind her barely lit, raised her eyebrows high with a blink before her delicate eyebrows knitted together.

“What time is it?” Weiss asked, her pale eyes flicking to the base of her screen.

“It’s four in the morning,” Blake replied after glancing at Weiss’ digital clock on the nightstand, schooling her features to not wince.

Instantly, the smaller woman frowned, straightening her back and opening her mouth.

“It’s okay!” Yang was quick to interrupt, offering a smile when Weiss looked at her, seemingly hesitant. “We were the one who asked you to call. It’s perfectly fine!”

“I forgot about the time zones,” the smaller woman apologized still, sounding regretful. “Here it’s not even halfway past seven.”

“It’s okay,” Yang smiled again, before visibly moving over to look behind Weiss, taking in the color of the walls and the few decorations they could see. “You’re not home? This doesn’t look like the mansion.”

Indeed, from the poor lighting of the room they could see the creamy color of the walls with the dark chocolate palette that accompanied it, and Weiss nodded as she glanced around with a sigh, blinking tiredly.

“Yes. Going to the mausoleum has proven harder than I thought. I didn’t want to add to it by spending the night there and running into Father.”

“How did it go?” Blake asked then, and Yang gingerly leaned against her side to be more comfortable, tucking her head against the crook of her shoulder.

It took a moment before the answer came as Weiss looked to the side, letting out a deep sigh as she did, and only now could she see that the smaller woman _looked_ exhausted as her frail shoulders were drooped a bit.

“It went well, considering I kept talking with someone who can’t hear nor say anything back,” Weiss huffed bitterly, her eyes staying to the side. “It’s summer too, here, do you want to see?”

Before they could say anything, the smaller woman turned the screen to the side, and they could see what Weiss had been watching earlier, which was a wonderful view of the rest of the city of Atlas, the lights reflecting on the side of the tall buildings and even with the sun setting, the city seemed to buzz with life still.

“Whitley was there,” Weiss continued out of sight, the only thing appearing in the screen was the arm she was leaning her chin on. “He seemed glad to see me. I have to say that I was to see him well.”

“So it was the three of you, huh?” Yang commented quietly, her voice soft as she looked at the view.

A soft hum confirmed the blonde’s guess, and Blake could feel Yang leaning a bit heavier on her side as time went on, and she knew that her wife was slowly drifting back to sleep as Weiss seemed to prefer watching over the city than looking at them.

“I saw Father, too,” the smaller woman’s voice grew quiet, thoughtful, now. “He didn’t talk to me, we merely brushed past each other. We were leaving when he arrived. He seemed… Not well. Winter assured me he wasn’t sick, but he looked… Older. He assuredly lost a lot of weight. Whitley told me he hadn’t taken Mother’s passing as well as everyone expected, apparently.”

Weiss’ comment was soon followed by the smaller woman taking in a sharp breath as she straightened her back, and Weiss turned the screen to her again, a fond smile gracing her lips when she saw that Yang had fallen right back asleep on Blake’s shoulder.

“Well, I will leave you be,” the smaller woman let out quietly, returning her eyes on Blake, but her expression was lighter, less tormented than earlier. “My flight is in the afternoon, so I will probably land in the evening, if there’s no delay.”

“We’ll be there,” she assured, and she was about to say goodnight when, with the screen turned towards Weiss again, the smaller woman had turned it a bit more than it was previously and so she could see in a dark corner behind Weiss. “Hey what’s that?”

“What?” Weiss blinked, utterly confused.

“That thing in the corner,” Blake narrowed her eyes as she leaned closer to the screen, pointing behind Weiss. “There isn’t much light there, so I can’t see clearly, although it can just be my scroll acting up,” she finished in a mutter, lightly tapping on the device.

Her expression suddenly changing, Weiss abruptly turned on her chair to look at said corner, effectively hiding the corner from view for a moment, and she could see the smaller woman’s frantic glances across the room, but when Weiss looked back at her, the couple of dark pixels she had seen there flicked to the normal color.

“Hm. I think it was just my scroll,” Blake simply shrugged.

“Probably,” Weiss nodded with a small smile.

“Well, I have one sunshine to tuck in,” she sighed as she turned her head to press a light kiss on her wife’s head. “I promise that when you’ll be back, we’ll make a _Weiss_ cream sandwich.”

Snorting with a roll of her eyes, Weiss only shook her head lightly, but there was a smile on her lips still as the line of her shoulders relaxed.

“Goodnight, Blake,” the smaller woman said softly, her pale blue eyes falling on Yang. “Sleep well.”

“Goodnight, starlight. And remember,” she added, raising a finger in the air for Weiss to see. “You can call us anytime.”

“I know,” the smaller woman assured. “And I will if I need to, I promise. Now get back to sleep before you wake up tomorrow with a scroll-face.”

Chuckling with one last wave, she smiled as she thumbed the button to end the call, but as she did, the image on the screen froze for a few seconds more while the line disconnected properly, and it showed Weiss, her smile nowhere to be seen now, turning towards the corner she thought she had seen something.

The image faded away from her screen, and she shrugged, thinking that it was just a coincidence. Maybe Weiss had been meaning to stand and the video feed had disconnected before.

Returning her scroll to its previous position on the nightstand, she then moved to gently lay Yang on her pillow again without waking her and, after successfully tucking her in, flicked the bedside lamp off, her thought wandering all the way back to Atlas as she wondered if it was as cold in summer as it was in winter.

 

****

 

On her side of the planet, Weiss was tightly rolled in her blankets, pressed close to Angel as the dog snored rather loudly, her eyes wide open for the past three hours, now, all her senses on high alert.

Ever since her call to Blake and Yang, she could feel it. The cold, heavy stare she could always feel after her nightmares on her, cold shivers running down her spine sporadically whenever she felt her heavy eyelids start closing. She didn’t want to fall asleep.

Not with that thing in the room watching her.

Which was a bit strange. Usually it was only there _after_.

As time went on, she could feel the weight of the stare heavier, closer, and even though she had approximately three layers of blankets wrapped around her back without counting her nightshirt, in the middle of the night, she felt an ice cold hand brush against her back.

As she fought not to yelp in panic as she felt her heart start ramming in her chest, she pressed even closer to Angel, pushing the dog closer to the edge on the other side in the hopes she could escape whatever was reaching for her, her eyes welling up as she hid her face in Angel’s collar.

The dog, being disturbed like this, raised her head to lean it over her shoulder, and she was glad for it as it was shielding her, but she felt the hair at the base of her neck stand on end as, watching her back, Angel started growling quietly. The dog’s movement now seemed more one of protection than one of comfort.

Her spine held in a terrified, ramrod line as she felt herself start trembling, she wasn’t even sure if she could even scream for help if she ever needed as it felt like her heart was beating in her throat. But maybe the dog’s presence made whatever was in the room relent, as the stare she have felt all through the nigh vanished.

Relaxing bit by bit, she was even more grateful when, on the far wall, she could see the first lights of day stretching, casting every shadows of the room out and away.

 

****

 

It was near nine in the evening when Weiss’ airship finally landed and another hour passed before Weiss finally joined them at the exit of the airship, Angel’s leash in hand, and even though the smaller woman looked even more exhausted than the day before, her smile was bright as she hugged both of them like she had been gone for years.

As Yang drove them home through the deserted streets of the neighborhood, Blake watched the smaller woman from the rear view mirror, furrowing her brows when Weiss visibly fought to keep her eyes open as her pale eyes were staring glassily outside. A cold hand on her thigh made her look back to Yang, who squeezed her thigh lightly in response, before glancing at her knowingly.

Whatever questions they had would be postpone to tomorrow.

Although, Yang couldn’t hold back the chuckle she let out when she saw Weiss drag her feet to the room, before flopping down on it, face first, bouncing once against it.

In the same way, Angel flopped right beside her with a very loud sigh.

Still, after everyone had changed, they settled in bed, with Weiss in the middle as promised. Yang wasn’t even settled that Weiss had already pressed her face against her chest, and fell asleep right away, sighing contentedly when the blonde looped an arm around her.

She could only shake her head as Yang pressed a kiss to the crown of Weiss’ head, and she was about to flick the light off when she realised that Angel was still in the bed, sitting at Weiss’ feet and staring at the back of the room, as still as a statue. Furrowing her brows as she looked around, thinking that maybe a shadow coming from out the window was what had caught the dog’s attention, she didn’t find anything that explained Angel’s stillness.

“Hey,” she said, lightly pushing the dog with her foot, under the covers.

Not bothering to glance back at her, Angel merely shifted, all her attention focused on one particular spot in a corner of the room. But even with her keen vision in the dark, she could only see the furniture of the room.

“Angel, there’s nothing there. Go to your own bed.”

This time, the dog let out the softest bark, barely a breath, and Yang had to snap her fingers for Angel to relent, the dog finally starting to her own bed and turning a few times around, before settling down, her head towards the point she kept staring at.

Rolling her eyes with a sigh, Blake turned the light off, snuggling closer against Weiss’ back, and she felt the smaller woman relax against her. Nuzzling Weiss’ nape before leaving a soft kiss there, she carefully draped an arm over the two others, and closed her eyes with a sigh, pulling the blankets a bit more over her shoulder when there was a cool and sudden breeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to add, about the delays and all... I wish I could spend more time on these, I really do. But as I have increasingly bigger responsability at my job, I'm more tired when I get home, or I want to get away a bit, so the time I spend actually writting is actually shorter than I'd like.
> 
> So, yeah. I've never been the most consistent with my updates, but now I might be EVEN MORE inconsistant. Sorry!
> 
> Also thank yooooouuuu for reading, leaving kudos and comments. Sometimes it's the only thing I need to make my day.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm glad I didn't promise this would be the last chapter. I can't believe I thought I could fit all of this in a single one. Geez. Although if I just stopped adding to it, it might have worked...
> 
> Also I'm so sorry! I guess I didn't think last chapter was so scary! After reading it over and over again, it kinda lose its meaning...
> 
> Anyway. I hope you'll like this one! Because I, for one, really like it! For many reasons! Enjoy!

Weiss talked very little about her short trip to Atlas and was rather silent for the next couple of days as they caught her staring blankly in front of her a few times, with her scroll in hand or a book in her lap. The smaller woman also favored being alone for now, either working in her office or reading in the library, upstairs.

Still, Yang seemed to be the person Weiss went to when she talked about her mother because, unintentionally, Blake yet again was about to stumble on a serious conversation, one that was held in the kitchen this time as Weiss and Yang were making dinner while she was reading upstairs. And as she heard their voices, not wanting to interrupt the conversation she sat on top of the stairs, out of sight but hearing perfectly what was being said.

“It was just…” The smaller woman was sighing, pausing to try and think of the right words. “Strange. You know? Mother has always been this constant, at the mansion. Always there, somewhere. And now, knowing that if I step in the garden… She won’t be there.”

The last part was said so quietly that she had to strain her ear to hear it, and it was followed by the sound of someone cutting something on the cutting board. Judging by the pace, it was Weiss.

“How were Whitley and Winter?” Yang softly asked, and the sound of a pan being placed on the fire was heard, soon followed by the sound of something sizzling in it. “Winter seemed fine about it when she was here.”

“Oh I think Winter really is alright with it,” was Weiss’ instant answer. “I think all she harbored for Mother was hatred. Of the three of us, she’s the only one who remembers a time when Mother was… sober more often. Apparently, it wasn’t much of a pleasant sight back then.”

“As for Whitley, he had learned to distance himself from her from the start, as she barely remembered him by the time he was old enough to talk properly. He was shaken because he was there when she… died.”

“And how are you now?”

The sound of the knife on the cutting board stopped for a moment, before resuming, with slightly more force than before it seemed.

“I don’t know how I feel about all of this,” she heard Weiss grumble under her breath. “Winter kept saying I always were Mother’s favorite, but it didn’t- I don’t-”

Stumbling a bit over her words as the sound of cutting stopped in synch with Weiss’ resounding sigh, she could almost picture her, her hands still on the cutting board as she was looking up at the ceiling.

“I realised, in the mausoleum, when I was talking to her, that… I don’t know a thing about my mother,” the smaller woman quietly confessed. “Seventeen years living under the same roof, and I don’t know a single thing about her. I don’t even know what color she liked,” Weiss bitterly chuckled. “I just- I think it’s sad.”

The cutting sound came back, this time sounding much more slowly than before as a silence settled in the kitchen, the smell of onions in the pan now reaching her nose. And as she frowned, starting to smell something burning, she heard the sound of the pan being moved.

“Now would be a great time to finish cutting the veggies, hun.”

“If you wanted so much to have them done faster, you shouldn’t have asked me questions,” Weiss instantly snapped back, and it made Blake smile, knowing there was a scowl on the smaller woman’s face, now.

She heard the pace of the knife quicken as Weiss was muttering under her breath, incomprehensible despite her sharp hearing, and instead the warm chuckle of Yang drowned the mumbling, and soon enough, the sizzling coming from the pan was heard again, louder than before.

“Did it make you feel better?” Yang’s voice sounded again, soft and quiet.

She heard something being dragged shortly, scraping quietly against the floor, and when it creaked she figured it was a chair as Weiss sighed deeply.

“What? The idea of stabbing you?” The smaller woman let out, sarcasm clear in her voice.

It made the blonde snort, and the sound of a light slap reached her ears.

“No, silly. I meant going to Atlas.”

“Yes,” Weiss answered after a thoughtful moment. “Yes, and no. I… Like I said, I still don’t know how I feel about it, but I guess now… Now I know it’s real. That Mother is really… gone.”

The smaller woman cleared her throat then, seemingly having enough of the direction of the conversation.

“And you, how are you? How is therapy?”

She heard the soft huff Yang let out at Weiss’ question, but still didn’t seemed to mind as the blonde answered happily, and only now did Blake decided to let her presence known, descending the stairs as if she hadn’t been listening the entire conversation. When she entered the kitchen, Weiss was listening with rapt attention, genuinely happy to listen to Yang’s stories and anecdotes, and she lightly hugged her wife from behind, the blonde barely pausing her story to look over her shoulder with a smile, before she moved to do the same with Weiss, the smaller woman leaning back against her.

 

****

 

Days passed, soon morphing into weeks, and the heat of summer slowly gave way to the cool breeze of autumn, days growing shorter as the leaves in the trees changed colors, and Blake was rejoicing about it. Truly, this was her favorite time of the years. She could wear that fuzzy and warm rust-orange scarf that Yang bought her to match with her wife’s, and she could finally wear the warm leather gloves Weiss had gifted her for her birthday when she was out for a walk, or out to take pictures.

They sparred regularly now, almost every day, and she was glad to see them slowly getting back into shape. The brand new wooden swords Blake had bought for practise as soon as they came back from Menagerie were already dented and battered by the number of times she and Weiss had sparred, and she couldn’t say just how proud she was at their obvious improvements.

Still, Weiss had yet to request for Myrtenaster being forged anew. Both Blake and Yang figured that, when Weiss would feel truly ready, she would ask.

So, they weren’t that much surprised when, after Jaune had sent yet again a contract to Blake, the smaller woman had refused to go. But this time, there was a decided look in her pale eyes that told them it might be soon Weiss would be ready.

For Yang, though, it was different. Even she could tell Yang was itching for a hunt sometimes, when the blonde was watching the news and hearing about a settlements having trouble with the nearby Grimm as see her grit her teeth.

But after a long, thoughtful moment, Yang declined, too.

But as they were glad of their progress towards their physical capabilities, they could see a strangely familiar sight as Weiss’ trouble sleeping at night started to be apparent. If her eye bags weren’t enough of a hint, her mood swings was another, and that was without mentioning all the times they caught her staring numbly in front of her.

But every time one of them broached the subject, the smaller woman only ever scoffed, assuring them that she was fine and not to worry about her. Which only made them worry _more_.

 She knew it was Weiss’ nightmares that kept her awake at night, as tense as a broomstick, making her small frame shake so much it woke her up most of the time. But now, even pushing Weiss in the middle wasn’t working anymore. And even Angel’s interventions were vain.

Some nights, Weiss was so terrified that she couldn’t even produce a sound as she barely breathed, trying to be as silent as possible it seemed, even less able to talk, and on those rare occasions Blake relented and let Angel sleep in the bed with them, curled on top of Weiss’ feet and stubbornly staring at a corner of the room, the fur on the dog’s neck raised.

It also seemed that a crow or two had established their home in a nearby tree, as they could hear its annoyingly loud cawing in the early hours of the morning, before the sun started to rise.

One time, Yang got out of bed and, still wearing her pajamas, grabbed a broom and her jacket, jumped in her boots, and stepped outside in the backyard, the lilac of her eyes nearly traded with red.

 

////////////////////

 

As soon as she stepped outside, the damn bird _finally_ shut up, and a part of her was glad for the infernal sound has stopped. Another part of her was _furious_ because it had the _nerve_ of waiting until she was _up_ and _armed_ before doing so.

She had to leave Blake and Weiss’ soft warmth for this. Both of them could go back to sleep, now that she had made that sacrifice.

Gritting her teeth, she walked to the first tree in the yard, squinting her eyes to try and see in the dim light of dawn, trying to find the dark bird.

Suddenly hearing a loud flutter from the trees deeper in the yard, she saw a dark spot move in one of them, and finally having found her target, she moved to it, swiftly making her way to the back of the yard, squeezing the broomstick in her hand.

She didn’t know if she could scare it enough to leave forever, but she sure as hell would try.

Arriving at the foot of the tree, she bit back a curse when she lost sight of her target, slowly circling around the trunk and scanning every inches of it with increasing fury when it seemed to have fled.

After circling the tree five times and even checking all of the others in the yard, only now did she let out a curse, throwing uselessly the broom across the yard to try and calm her nerves, hoping to find some kind of satisfaction in the action. Standing motionless in the middle of the yard, she closed her eyes, finding the area eerily quiet for the time being as her outburst had scared away every bird in the area.

As she could feel the rising sun finally sending its rays everywhere it could touch, she stood there a moment more, letting it warm her face as her anger slowly faded away. A soft breeze made the leaves rustle quietly, the noise calming her nerves and soothing the worry and anxiety she was bearing.

In this surprising moment of peace, for the space of a handful of minutes, she thought of nothing, and simply let her tense shoulders relax, the hand she had kept clenched tight uncurling by her side.

It was a short, involuntary reprieve from the growing worry Weiss created inside her. An unnameable turmoil that brought back too many memories she had tried to keep away ever since Weiss started showing the same signs Ruby had.

Every day, every time her eyes landed on the smaller woman, there was this alarm going off in her head, telling her something was terribly wrong, urging her to do something, _anything_ , before it was too late.

But Weiss’ constant rebuttal about her health only added to the urgency. And she knew Blake felt the same.

A loud fluttering sounded again, this time closer, and she promptly turned to the sound, all the annoyance she had successfully washed away coming back tenfold, only for her to stop in utter confusion after taking half a step, blinking in disbelief.

“Took you long enough to come out,” the figure standing in the back of the yard, right beside where the broom had landed, let out, the voice muffled by the helmet sitting on the dark head. “Very frightening, by the way.”

As Raven glanced down to the broom at her feet, sarcasm dripping from every word, it made Yang blink again, raising a finger in the air in front of her before glancing around.

“How did you- _When_ did you-”

Her mother let out a loud, exasperated sigh, effectively interrupting her.

“I wish I could be as oblivious as you are, sometimes. Who do you think was screaming at the window until you _finally_ deign showing up?”

The puzzle pieces finally falling back together, she blinked again before scoffing, and even if Raven had a helmet hiding her features, she could tell her face hardened.

“A raven,” she finally huffed, shaking her head. “How original.”

The red eyes of her mother, somewhat visible through the slits of her helmet, narrowed at the comment, but the woman decided it wasn’t worth prolonging the conversation as the bandit leader started slowly across the yard, her hand resting loosely on the guard of her sword, and it only made Yang tense, already regretting coming outside.

“What are you doing here?” She settled on asking. “If it’s just a courtesy visit, you could have used the front door.”

An irritated glare was sent her way, but she kept her chin held high, stubbornly staring at the woman in front of her. She was decided to stand her ground. This was her home, after all.

She was a bit surprised when, after a quiet sigh, Raven stopped her aimless walk to pull off her helmet, shaking her hair for them to fall correctly, and the woman turned towards her with a serious look on her face, resting the boney helmet on her hip.

“It isn’t a courtesy visit,” the bandit leader started. “I came to warn you.”

“Warn me?” Yang huffed harshly, cocking a hip as she rested a hand on it. “That’s new. Couldn’t you have warned me for this, too?”

Waving her prosthetic in front of her, it only resulted in making her mother glare with a scowl, her grip visibly tightening on the handle of her sword.

“How did you want me to warn you about this?” He mother snapped back. “Fair warning Yang; swords cuts.”

Gritting her teeth as she could feel the flames of anger curling in the pit of her stomach, her eyes changing color instantly, it only made Raven roll her eyes, not at all impressed by the show.

“This is serious, Yang,” the bandit leader continued, her gaze flitting away. “If her darkness reaches you, even _I_ won’t be able to help.”

Slightly taken aback, her anger dimming a noticeable amount, she furrowed her brows, tilting her head curiously.

“What darkness? From who?”

The red eyes of her mother came back to her, dark eyebrows raised high on her forehead.

“Salem’s,” her mother let out, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. “Didn’t you realise the Schnee girl was being targeted?”

Blinking, she tried to hide to her mother how much she was reeling from this piece of information, but Raven apparently saw right through her act because she merely shook her head, a scoff of disbelief leaving her lips.

“You truly are your father’s daughter,” the woman sneered, turning away.

“Don’t bring Dad into this,” she hissed, the comment making her bristle, her hands curling into tight fists.

“But you are as blind as him!” Raven spun back on her heels, snarling. “Something is wrong, right before your eyes, and you fail to see it!”

“Of course I know something’s wrong!” She retorted back in the same way.

“Then what are you doing about it?” The woman waved vaguely at the house, her features contorting in anger. “Your teammate needs you! If you truly cared about her-”

“Oh because you can really lecture me about what I should do, _Mom_ ,” she sneered, the last word weighing heavily on her tongue. “You were the very _example_ of taking care of others, huh? At least I’m not my mother’s daughter, and I don’t run whenever it’s too hard!”

It seemed to strike a cord as the woman’s lips twisted in an angry smirk, but Raven only turned away, taking a few steps to the side to try and find her calm again. Her point made, Yang simply waited to see what was going to happen, crossing her arms over her chest as the embers of anger were still warm in the pit of her stomach, ready to come roaring back to life with the tiniest spark.

After a long moment, she noticed her mother’s shoulders droop, and when the woman turned back to her, Raven’s expression was unreadable but her gaze kept to the ground.

“This is important, Yang,” her mother started quietly, swallowing. “This isn’t the first time darkness touches someone you care about.”

“What are you talking about?” She let out after a beat, frowning.

“Your sister,” Raven dryly said, arching a single eyebrow. “Or have you forgotten about her?”

Well, her mother knew just what to say to get under her skin, she thought, already feeling the heat around her increasing as she took a single step towards her mother, the leash she had on her self-control thinning by the second.

“Watch it,” she hissed, smelling the smoke from her hair.

Entirely unimpressed, Raven huffed but added nothing more as she started pacing in front of her, the hold on her helmet tightening.

“She wasn’t touched by her darkness when we met in the jungles,” her mother continued as if nothing happened, now visibly troubled. “Not yet. But then, when I watched over you again, the witch already had her hooks in her. It was too late. Even your idiotic uncle or Ozpin couldn’t have done something for her.”

“Wha-What do you mean?” Yang silently asked, her anger traded by dread as she felt a cold shiver ran down her spine. “What do you mean, Salem had her hooks in Ruby?”

“Salem is not a fighter, but a saboteur,” Raven explained. “Destroying armies from within is her way of winning wars. Targeting the silver-eyed warrior only ensured her safety, taking out the only thing that could kill her right from the start.”

Suddenly stopping her pacing, the bandit leader looked up at the sky, and she could see the profound sadness in her mother’s eyes as the woman let out a long, tired sigh.

“The war was lost the moment your sister gave in. The moment she let Salem in. Her darkness… alters in some way the power behind the silver eyes. It leaves the warrior unarmed against the witch.”

There was a silence then, Raven visibly deep in thoughts as Yang kept wondering if she should trust her mother’s words or not, until she took a step back, cautious.

“How do you know all that?” She asked carefully, trying to mute the thundering sound of her heart beating in her ears. “How do you know what’s happening to Weiss?”

The red gaze of her mother went to her, the silence stretching for a moment more as the woman pinched her lips, hesitating.

“I can see far and wide, Yang,” was the ominous answer. “But what astonish me is that you can’t even see what lurks in your own bedroom. The Schnee girl is merely a point to be made, a show of power.”

A chilled shiver running down her back, and she silently turned to the house, her eyes fixating the windows of their bedroom. In the rising sun, the shadows of the leafless trees stretched in long, sinuous fingers closing around the house, and she swallowed, the start of fear growing inside her.

“Be wary, Yang,” her mother continued behind her, seemingly knowing what her daughter was thinking about. “Despite what everyone is saying, the war against Salem is far from over. It was simply delayed.”

A fluttering sound behind her made her look back over her shoulder, but her mother was nowhere to be seen, a single black feather lazily falling to the ground where the woman had stood. Turning on her heels, she glanced around, before returning her attention on the feather that finally reached the grass, and she took a knee, carefully taking it.

Rolling it between her fingers thoughtfully, her mind swirling with everything her mother had said, she couldn’t help but wonder what she could do. What could she do against a witch’s dark magic? Could she even make a difference?

Thinking back on the last days of the war, about how many Hunters died then, her grip broke the frail feather between her fingers, making it snap in half as she gritted her teeth.

Had all those death been in vain? How many more would it take to end it?

And now their silver-eyed warrior was… unavailable.

Was the war already doomed to fail?

A sudden call coming from the house made her frown, looking up promptly towards the windows of their bedroom, and only now did she realise one of them was wide open. But she was glad for it, as she could hear Blake’s next desperate call for her as clearly as if she had been inside the house.

The sheer amount of panic in her wife’s voice made her blood run cold, and throwing the broken feather on the ground, she sprinted back into the house, speeding back to their bedroom, dread making her heart sink in her chest painfully.

 

****

 

She had been reluctant to sleep, that night. The dreams kept getting scarier by the day, and even with the presence of Blake and Yang in the room with her, she was still terrified beyond words when those eyes would stare at her, scrutinizing her it seemed and entirely too pleased by the fear it caused.

She had asked to sleep in the middle that night, hoping it would keep the cold, heavy stare away, hoping the warmth of the other two would lull her into dreamless slumber. But it wasn’t the case, when she abandoned the fight and finally closed her eyes.

At first, she wondered where she was. She felt warm, and the rays of the sun pooling in the room made the white of the walls stand out, and, for a moment thinking she was at the mansion, she shifted to the side, meaning to look out the window.

But when she turned, she was met by a soft grunt, and the smell of roses and chocolate filled her nose as she closed her eyes to better enjoy it.

Ah, right. She was at the house with Ruby, while Blake and Yang were away on their honeymoon.

She smiled fondly, remembering the past few days as warmth spread through her entire being. Propping her head on her hand, she took a moment to appreciate the sight in front of her.

Ruby was dozing off, her hair sprawled on the pillow like they always did after love, and there was a soft smile on her lips as the light bedsheet was covering her from hips and down. She smiled when, bathing in the sun that pooled on the bed, Ruby sighed contentedly, her hand blindly reaching for something across the mattress, and she swiftly laced her fingers with hers.

The action, so natural by now, gave a painful squeeze at her heart, and she furrowed her brows for a second, wondering why she would ever feel pain by doing this, but she soon pushed it aside, deciding to enjoy the moment as Ruby shifted closer, nuzzling against her shoulder.

“Isn’t it nice, just the two of us?” The younger woman murmured then, peppering light kisses on her skin. “I sometimes regret we bought a house for all of us. I kinda wish we had our own space, now.”

“You know they still have five days left to their honeymoon, right?” She countered playfully, nuzzling the red-tipped hair, always so soft to the touch. “We still have plenty of time alone. Besides, I don’t think I would ever get any work done, alone in a house with you.”

It only made Ruby laugh cheekily, her face half hidden in the soft pillow, and again, there was a painful pull in her chest, but she paid it no mind, deciding instead to brush back a few bangs to kiss Ruby’s eyebrow, making the younger woman hum as she did.

“I love you,” She murmured against her partner’s skin, leaning her forehead there as a sudden, powerful wave of love rose like tide inside of her. “I love you so much, Ruby, I don’t… I don’t know enough words to best describe it. I wish I could make you feel how much I love you.”

Visibly surprised by the honest declaration, Ruby’s eyes fluttered open, her gorgeous silver eyes looking up to lock with her, a soft and tender glint there as her partner smiled, before Ruby leaned over, and she met her halfway.

Their kiss started soft, always did, their lips moving in tandem and one of the other always knowing when to push, when to part, when to tilt their heads… It was in those moments that she felt so close to Ruby. When both of them were willingly letting the other in, in this silent agreement.

Ruby’s hand slid across her back, the callouses on her hand scratching lightly enough to make it pleasurable as the warm touch stopped on the small of her back, her fingers circling around her back dimples, and she smiled in the kiss, remembering how much Ruby liked them. Remembering the number of times Ruby had kissed them before-

The hand on her back was joined by another as Ruby pulled her to her, making her straddle her partner’s hips as Ruby’s tongue painted her lower lip, demanding entrance. Gladly giving it to her, she let her hands roam over Ruby’s flat, taut stomach, feeling the subtle but hard as steel ripple of muscles there, and she was slowly making her way to the younger woman’s chest when her fingers bumped on something foreign, and she furrowed her brows, pulling away with a pant to look down at what she had found.

It was… a scar. On Ruby’s right side, like something had pierced through before whatever had been there was harshly pushed to the side, cutting every inches of flesh there.

_Wait._

As she traced the edge of the scar, not remembering it being there before, another appeared right before her eyes, on Ruby’s left hip, looking like claws had dug deeply there.

“What the..?”

_That’s not what happened…_

When she looked up, utterly confused by the appearance of many more scars, she was suddenly pulled back, sucked through the back of the room as she let out a yelp, and, panicked, she called for Ruby, reaching a hand to her.

But the room wasn’t there anymore. She was surrounded in darkness.

There was wind roaring in her ears, whipping her hair across her face as she felt like she was falling, quickly. Trying to summon a dark glyph to slow her descend,  it failed, her semblance seemingly not responding as she cursed, looking around to try and see through the dark that surrounded her.

Slowly, her surroundings started to light up, the darkness leaving only to leave place to an apparently empty space, the ground formed of something dark and glossy, the light reflecting against it. Speaking of light, she thought, looking to the side to the source of it, and her eyebrows raised high, seeing a dark crystal bursting out of the ground there, softly glowing from inside and lighting up the room and oddly familiar. As she glanced around, she realised with confusion that she was wearing her sleepwear and, from her vantage point, she could see a couple of other crystals, and that wherever she was, it was very, very large. And desperately empty.

Well, empty might not be the right choice of word, as there was something moving, down below, and she focused on it, narrowing her eyes to see it better. Something was definitely there, or better, some _one_ , running towards her, and she could feel herself being pulled again, upwards, as if some unseen force was slowing her down, and now that she was closer, she could see better the person standing firmly below her, extending their arms in front of them with the clear intention of catching her.

The person looked small, visibly floating in the rough tunic they were wearing, their hair long and way past their shoulders and almost down to their waist, but it was the color that made her do a double take.

Dark, with the tips red.

And, for the hair fell across the left side of their face, only one eye was locked on her with laser focus, and she could recognise it anywhere.

A single, gorgeous silver eye.

As she was lightly floating, slowly lowering to the waiting arms, she was a bit surprised when the gentle hold abruptly left, making her fall with a yelp, but surely enough, the arms closed around her, securing her, and even though she had once knew those arms could lift her easily, now her weight made them fall down, their heads knocking painfully together.

Both of them jerking away on opposite sides, they let out a grunt of pain in unison, holding their heads, but she suddenly perked up, still rubbing her head with a wince.

“Wait, how am I feeling pain?” She grimaced, glancing around. “Am I not dreaming?”

“Yeah, her realm is weird,” was the only grumbled answer she received. “I’m glad you didn’t get pancaked.”

“My hero,” she rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping.

The sudden, strangled laugh resounding made her look up, and again, this single silver eye was locked on her, tears welling up in it.

“It’s really you,” Ruby softly let out, her voice trembling. “I can’t believe it, it’s really you…”

When Ruby shifted closer, crawling on her knees, she felt her breath leave her lungs as one of her hands closed around hers, and only now did it struck her.

She could feel her touch. Could feel how her fingers were trembling, how they were a bit cool against her skin, how the callouses from the earlier memory were for the most part gone now, and when she squeezed, Ruby squeezed back immediately.

She looked up then, searching for answers in the single eye staring back at her, and tentatively, reached a hand to her.

“You’re really here, too?” She breathed, her heart starting hammering in her chest as her eyes welled up too.

Ruby only nodded, biting her lips to hold back her sobs when she brushed the back of her fingers against her cheek, Ruby instantly leaning against it as she closed her eye. Cupping her cheek then, Weiss let out a stupefied gasp at the feel of Ruby’s skin against her hand. It wasn’t like earlier, in the bedroom, where it had been a memory. This was new, and if it were really a dream, she couldn’t _be_ feeling how warm Ruby’s skin was, how wet her tears were.

Or how frail Ruby felt when she pulled her in her arms.

Shaking as every sob was ripped from her throat, Ruby trembled in her arms as she cried in her neck, clutching at the clothes on her back like a lifeline, and when she closed her arms around her trembling frame, she could feel every bump of her ribs clearly.

“Where are we?” Weiss managed to get out of her tight throat, holding Ruby closer to her when she glanced around again, blinking the tears away to better see. “What are you doing here? What _am_ I doing here?”

Her questions seemed to shake Ruby into motion as she pulled away, sniffling and rubbing her eye with the back of her hand, and seeing her not doing the same for her other eye made her frown, a pang of panic mixed with fury rising, but before she could ask something Ruby stood, offering a hand to her.

“You’re in danger,” Ruby said, starting off to their left, but she kept her hand in hers, and she was oh, so glad to leave it there. “Salem has been trying to get you, but she’s growing tired of you resisting.”

“Wh- What? What do you mean, ‘Salem’? What is this place?”

“I told you,” Ruby tightly answered, glancing shortly over her shoulder. “This is her realm.”

“But there’s nothing here!”

“It’s because the Hive is far away. And some parts are underground. This is the favorite spot for the Grimm, so I’m telling you now, but if we come across one, don’t be afraid. They’ll let us pass.”

“Ruby, I didn’t understand a single thing you told me.”

“Look, I don’t have time to explain!” Her partner snapped, her stride lengthening as she did. “You have to leave while she still doesn’t know you’re here.”

“But I don’t even know _how_ I got here!” She snapped back, looking back at where she had seemingly fallen from the sky… only to find a ceiling of rock full of stalactites covering what she had thought was the ‘sky’. “Are we underground?”

“No. We’re under a ledge, and the Hive is on the other side.”

“What’s the Hive?”

“Salem’s castle, if I can describe it like that.”

Letting out a sigh as she rubbed a tired hand across her face, she tried to organise her thoughts and ask the relevant questions first.

“ _How_ did I get here, exactly? You seemed to know where I was going to land.”

Ruby’s stride slowed down then, the hold on her hand tightening.

“As I said, Salem is trying to get you,” Ruby started to explain, but she never stopped her brisk walk. “Reaching through dreams is her favorite way of causing pain, of corrupting. I’ve seen her do this so many times, and you’re one of the only people who lasted for so long. Lasted definitely longer than me,” she added quietly.

“This still doesn’t explain what in Remnant I’m doing _exactly_ where I last want to be.”

“I couldn’t watch her do this to you! So I… I touched the Seer she was using to watch over you. I altered your dream before she could, so you could fall somewhere she will think of looking last.”

“… So I’m still dreaming and not really… here?”

“I told you her realm is weird.”

“But it doesn’t make sense!”

“Weiss,” Ruby finally stopped, turning on her heels to stare directly at her. “It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not. We’re playing _her_ game, one she’s been playing for thousands of years. I’m not arrogant enough to say we’ll beat her at it. But, I can buy you some time. When you wake up, you go to Ozpin. He can probably find a solution to get her poison out of you.”

“Ozpin? Why?”

“He’s as old as her! He knows about the magic she uses!”

Before she could say something more, Ruby returned to her walk, still holding her hand firmly in hers, and the solidity of it made her pause. Ruby kept saying she was dreaming, but…

“So… Are you dreaming too?”

“In a sense.”

“So you’re not really here like me?”

“Yeah.”

“Where are you, then?”

Her partner turned her head, the hair covering the left side of her face hiding the expression on it, but her stare stayed there for a long moment.

“Inside.”

“Inside… The Hive?”

A simple nod answered her.

“Wh- Why? Are you a prisoner?” She pressed, her pace quickening and her heart seizing at the simple thought of Ruby, chained to a wall or a floor-

“No.” Then, after a moment, “Not really.”

“… What does that mean?”

“I can roam free through the Hive or outside, like here,” Ruby explained, gesturing vaguely to the empty space around them. “But I can’t leave her realm.”

Before she could ask why, there was a soft growl on their side, making her jump, and instantly Ruby pushed her behind her back, standing tall in front of the Alpha Beowolf that trotted closer, its ears perked up the same way Angel’s would if she had her ball in hand.

Stopping mere feet from them, the beast tilted its head, considering them with its burning red eyes, before leaning it, sniffing curiously at Weiss’ sleeve.

Until Ruby swatted the boney muzzle aside without an ounce of hesitation, as if she had been doing that all her life.

“Buzz off,” her partner only growled at the beast.

The Beowolf, easily three times their size, was visibly shook by Ruby’s action as it held its head high, a bit on the side, as far away from them as it could go, and she nearly laughed at how ridiculous it looked.

Then, the Beowolf simply turned away, its tail and head hung low, and trotted deeper into the darkness, disappearing from view.

There was a moment of silence as she tried to register what was happening, and Ruby slowly turned to her, an unreadable mask schooling her features.

“Salem marked me as untouchable, like Mercury and Emerald, so that’s why the Grimm leave me alone. Sometimes I come here when I’m angry and I just… kick their butts.”

“I think I need to sit down,” Weiss whispered, feeling a bit dizzy.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, okay, it took me years to… ‘accept’ it,” Ruby sighed then, her hand squeezing hers reassuringly. “But we have to move. We’re nearly there.”

Gently tugging on her hand, Ruby took the lead again, the quiet padding of their bare feet on the ground echoing in the distance, and she realised that the ground wasn’t quite earth nor rock, the glossy of it resembling more the dark crystals bursting out of the ground.

Then suddenly, Ruby’s words were processed, and she looked up promptly at Ruby’s back, now taking in the long hair swinging just shy her partner’s hips.

“Wait, you said it took you years,” she started, shaking her head slightly and earning Ruby’s attention back as their pace slowed a bit. “How long have you been here?”

“What do you mean, ‘how long’?” Ruby blinked after a moment at the odd question. “How long was I gone?”

“It’s going to be a year in a few months.”

The information visibly shook Ruby, hard, as she blinked and blinked again, and there was an audible catch in her breath as she made them stop, staring at her with a wide eye.

“A single year?” Her partner asked in a whisper, her voice wavering.

When she nodded, Ruby turned away, letting go of her hand to take a few steps to the side, and when she heard the shaky exhale from her, Weiss silently stepped closer, and after a second of hesitation, rested a gentle hand on her back.

“How long have you been here?” She asked again, her voice barely over a murmur and somehow echoing in the silence around them.

“I knew there was some kind of time distortion between here and Remnant because she was healing far too fast between the fights, but I never thought… I never thought it would be that much…”

“How long?”

“It’s been six years,” Ruby finally answered, turning towards her. “And counting, since she has cast some kind of spell on me that’s keeping her portals closed to me-”

A sudden tremor shook the ground under their feet, and they could hear the Grimm in the distance that had been stalking them run away with loud whimpers, and in this instant the crystals surrounding them started shining, illuminating everything around them in a bright, blinding light.

After shielding her eyes behind her hand, she realised the space around them was as clear as day, and when she turned towards what Ruby was fixating, noticing the shiver that ran down her spine, she felt her heart stop for a second.

“The Hive…” She whispered, finding the name was dreadfully fitting.

The ledge Ruby talked about was one of its side, and, even with the distance, she could see the many alcoves where dark dots kept coming and going. Grimm, surely. The alcoves kept climbing up the sides of what looked like a mountain, buzzing with activity, and as her gaze was reaching for the top, they both could see the reverberation emanating from there, quickly making its way to them.

“Cover your ears!” Ruby was already moving her hands to her own head, panic in her eye as she glanced back at her. “She found out what I’m doing!”

Not bothering to ask why she had to cover her ears, she followed her partners lead as Ruby started running in the direction she had been leading her, her hands tightly clutched to her head, wondering what would cause such a tremor, until-

The reverberation in the air finally reached them, the force of it projecting them to the ground, and unfortunately, her hands left her ears.

A high-pitched screech filled her ears, full of rage and fury, and she knew it was Salem because she could feel the same paralysing terror take hold of her. The screech morphed into a menacing yowl, making every stalactite shake on the ledge, some even losing their pointy ends, and even though she knew the sound of them crashing down would have been deafening, she didn’t hear anything but Salem’s screams.

A pair of hands shook her, quickly pulling her up to her feet, and her vision was filled by Ruby’s single silver eye, worriedly shifting as her mouth was moving but her voice muted to her ears. She saw Ruby reach a hand to her head, felt her fingers touch her ear, and when her partner drew her hand back, she could see the blood on her fingertips.

Another tremor shook the ground under their feet, and Ruby pulled her in her arms protectively, looking over the Hive again, and they could see a dark cloud that was most unnatural falling freely from the glossy side of the mountain, and even with the distance, she could feel the cold, heavy stare of blood-red eyes on them.

Slowly, sounds came back to her ears as Ruby was tugging her behind her, starting at a run and making her stumble as she tried to follow.

“… Nearly there, Weiss! Just a bit more!”

As the cloud was speeding towards them frighteningly fast, Weiss could feel all the hatred Salem harbored for her, the simple feeling suffocating, until Ruby’s voice caught her attention as they finally caught up with the base of the ledge.

“We’re here! It’s where Mercury and Emerald always come and go, it should be safe for you,” Ruby quickly explained, already pushing her towards where she briefly pointed.

Which was a crack that glowed strangely, in the somewhat translucent crystal of the Hive, and the light emanating from it was bright, visibly leading… somewhere else.

“What about you?” She asked in a breath, hearing her own voice muffled.

“She won’t kill me,” Ruby assured, pushing her again, her voice pressing. “She doesn’t take disobedience lightly, but she won’t kill her pet. Now go! Don’t worry about me!”

“But-”

“Weiss,” Ruby interrupted her, quickly wetting her lips as she glanced over, probably to see where Salem was. “If Ozpin tells you there’s a way to come here, don’t. Don’t come for me. I can’t risk you again. I can’t risk all of you.”

Then, after an apparent hesitation, she leaned over in a short, brief kiss, her chapped and dried lips scratching against hers but somehow making her feel alive again.

“I will always love you,” Ruby whispered in her ear. “And… Tell them thank you. For taking care of you.”

Before pushing her through the crack. She reached a hand to her at the same time Salem caught up, the dark cloud surrounding Ruby as the witch appeared out of it, ramming her long, pointy nails into her partner’s body, piercing through with an angry hiss and earning a muffled, pained groan, but Ruby’s eye was on her as she fell again, sucked to who knew where. Before she lost sight of them, she could hear Salem’s voice, sending a cold chill down her spine.

“You, vermin,” the witch was hissing as Ruby coughed, weakly grabbing Salem’s wrist as her partner was lifted off the ground.

Then, Salem’s blood-red eyes turned to her, the same stare that had haunted her ever since the end of the war, and the witch’s expression contorted in an ugly, furious smirk.

Then she was left in the darkness again, alone, and as the wind roared in her ears again, she shook her head, trying to will the tears away as she pinched herself multiples times, sniffling desperately.

“Come on Weiss,” she muttered under her breath, ignoring the way her voice wavered and trembled. “Wake up. Come on.”

Suddenly pulled harshly again, the wind changed direction, and the darkness subsided as she fell freely again, about to land on her back, but before she could try and move to position herself better, her back collided against something soft, something that creaked before making her bounce off and fall on the floor.

Scrambling to her feet in a second, she looked around frantically, hoping to see Yang or Blake, but… She recognised the room she was in. The large bed she had fallen on, the dark blue curtains at the large window, the furniture, the lone picture covered in dust on the nightstand… Her bedroom, at the mansion.

“Why here?” She breathed to no one in particular, turning on her heels slowly.

She looked down at herself then, recognising the dark blue dress she was wearing, and the sting on her cheek, reaching a hand to it. Just to be sure, she went to the window, seeing the long line of town cars waiting to take their illustrious guests back home.

Well. ‘Illustrious’.

“The Charity Gala,” she softly let out, then moving to the door to try and open it, finding without surprise that it was locked.

Kicking it out of anger, she turned, leaning her back to it, and tried to calm her breathing, closing her eyes.

It was just a dream. It was all just one, wicked dream, and now would be a really _great_ time to wake up.

Hearing her name being whispered, almost imperceptibly, her eyes snapped back open, and her body moved on its own, following the ominous whisper as other voices joined the first.

She was lead to the mirror, her brush still untouched on the dresser after all those years, and she distractedly noted there were still strands of silken hair in it, before her eyes moved up at her reflection, seeing her eyes puffy and red from crying that day, the sting on her cheek now visible as there was the reddened form of her father’s hand imprinted there.

She didn’t remember him hitting her so hard to have left a mark, that day.

She let out a sniffle, blinking.

When she opened her eyes again, the white of her eyes were black, her irises glowing blood-red, the veins of her face stark black against her pale skin and an ugly smirk pulled her lips.

As she felt herself gasp, trying to run away, an invisible hold kept her there as the smirk only inched larger, pleased in a way that sent all her bones rattling in terror. Her lips moved, she felt it, but it wasn’t her voice that spoke.

“You really think I was going to let you get away?” Salem whispered, and her head tilted without her meaning to. “That rat everyone calls a warrior was foolishly thinking her little trick would keep me from you. Little did she know that, by bringing you into my realm, it gave me easier access, to you.”

The witch laughed then, her voice echoing in the room, and, fighting against the hold, her hand closed around the brush, squeezing tightly, and it only made the red gaze fall on it with a dubious, arched eyebrow.

“What are you going to do now, thief?” The witch sneered. “Brush my hair until I die from it?”

Gritting her teeth, she felt the hold on her arm leave and, with this freedom, threw the brush as hard as she could in the mirror, breaking it as it cracked in a large web. Numerous tinier reflections yowled in anger, and the hold on her was that much harder, painfully so, and she felt something chocking her as the witch was growling in anger.

“You little, arrogant brat,” Salem hissed with so much force it hurt her ears. “Fine, then, suit yourself. I will take my Grimm back right now.”

In the multiple reflections, she could see slime falling from her mouth with each word, and now, the pain was unbearable as she couldn’t even scream, chocking more than ever, and she felt her eyes rolling back in her head, the shakes of her body weakening gradually, gurgling through the slime as her conscience was dimming the room around them.

Until, ringing in her ears from everywhere at once, a voice sounded.

“Weiss, please, wake up!”

 

////////////////////////////

 

Suddenly jerking awake with a sharp, deep intake of air, she blinked when she felt something in her mouth, but a wave of relief washed over her when she recognised the stunned faces of Blake and Yang. Realising that what was in her mouth were Blake’s fingers, she spited them out, catching her breath as she angrily turned towards the faunus.

“What the hell, Bla-”

“You were swallowing your tongue,” Blake whispered, her voice trembling as her eyes welled up then. “I didn’t know what to do and you just kept chocking, I didn’t- I didn’t know what to do!”

“I called an ambulance, they’re on their way,” Yang added, swallowing thickly as the blonde, too, was visibly shaken. “Are you- Are you okay?”

Before she could answer, she froze, all her senses screaming danger and, being the only one turned towards the back of the room, she could see in the shadows of the corner the same blood-red eyes staring hardly at her. But this time, the weight of it on her was paralysing as, instead of being pleased by her fear, it spoke of unbridled rage, the promise of retribution in them.

Also, she was the only one to see that, in the commotion, Angel had stood from her bed, a visible line of raised fur starting from her head and finishing at the base of her tail as the dog was growling, increasing in volume as the seconds ticked by. Yang barely glanced back at Angel, focusing all her attention on her instead.

“There’s something in the corner,” she breathed, feeling the ghost of an ice-cold hand over her throat, and she swallowed reflexively.

“Oh hun no, there’s nothing in the-” Yang started, glancing over her shoulder to said corner out of habit now, until she jumped out of bed promptly. “What the hell!?”

At the same time, Angel barked menacingly, jumping on the bed and shielding Weiss, her stance low as it was apparent the dog was about to pounce. Dropping a heavy hand on the dog’s collar, Yang raised her prosthetic arm up, and the clacking of the moving panels resounded in the stunned silence of the room, before she fired twice in the corner.

As the splinted wood flew everywhere, the explosive rounds creating a large hole in the far wall, they could see a shadow moving promptly, and as Blake bounded to the dresser, grabbing her weapon, two long tentacles grabbed the edge of the opened window nearby, and as quick as lightning the shadow jumped out.

Blake was the one who went to the window, raising her weapon in its gun-form as she swept the space in front of her with the barrel of her gun, trying to find the shadow, while Angel was considerably calmer now, the dog whining on Weiss’ lap. Yang, still stunned by the events, stood beside her, visibly hesitating between helping Blake or watching over her. The blonde decided of the latter, and sat beside her.

Reaching a gentle hand up, Yang brushed back a few sweaty bangs from her eyes, worry filling her eyes.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

Then, seeing something on the side of her head, the blonde leaned closer, brushing back the hair from her ear.

“You’re bleeding from your ears,” Yang said a bit louder, alarmed, and it caught Blake’s attention instantly.

“What?” The faunus came back beside her in a few wide strides, checking her ears, too. “What’s happening? What the hell is going on?”

“I have to see Ozpin,” she managed to let out, the remnant of her terror still making her shake.

“What? Why?”

“I saw Ruby,” she tried to explain, moving to get out of bed. “She told me to go to Ozpin.”

Her legs still too weak to support her weight, she was about to fall to her knees when, bounding to her at the same time, Blake and Yang supported her by the elbows, just as there were red lights starting to flash through the window from the room across from theirs.

“Weiss, it was just a dream,” Blake tried to reason her.

“You don’t understand, I was _there_! I could _feel_ her! She’s still alive, and-”

“Weiss,” Yang softly called, calming her panicked rambling as she instantly looked up to lock her eyes with the blonde’s lilac eyes. “Do you know what’s happening?”

She nodded vehemently as they slowly made their way to the living room, just as the lights flashing in rhythm were right outside the house, now.

“Yes. But it’s a long, and strange story.”

 

****

 

It wasn’t until later, when the ambulance finally left after Weiss refused several times to be transported to the hospital despite Blake and Yang’s insistence, that she found herself wrapped in a soft blanket that Yang had dropped on her shoulders, with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands from Blake, and she was sitting on the couch in the living room with Angel’s head on her lap and retelling the important part of her dream as precisely as she could, finishing her story with her hands trembling and her throat tight, but Blake and Yang were staring at her in utter surprise and confusion, their own mugs forgotten in their hands.

A long, heavy silence settled over them as the other two processed the story, and finally, Blake spoke, staring down at the ground with a blank expression.

“So all those times you told me there was something in the room… And I just never believed you.”

“You never saw it before, Blake. And, up until now, I always thought it was just a dream, a hallucination…”

“But you always said it was something with red eyes! That terrified you! What else could it be than-”

Abruptly standing, the faunus took a few steps away as she ran a hand in her hair, the hold she had on her mug rending it trembling a little.

“The glitch,” Blake let out after a few seconds of silence, turning to Weiss. “When you called from Atlas, I thought there was a glitch with my scroll, in the corner…”

The faunus trailed off when Weiss tellingly looked away, pulling the blanket a bit tighter around her shoulders, and it made Blake almost whine as she dropped back in her chair, leaving her mug on the table to rub her face with both hands.

“What was it, though? I mean, I always thought you saw Salem, but that thing-”

“It’s a Seer, I think,” she recalled, remembering what Ruby had said.

“So…” This time Yang’s voice sounded, quiet, but still catching both their attention effectively. The blonde was holding her mug loosely in both hands, her brows knitted together as her eyes were on the floor in a thoughtful expression. “Ruby’s… really alive.”

As another silence settled over them, she nodded, returning her eyes to her mug as she traced the rim with her thumb. She felt her eyes well up again at the memory of their brief time together, the vision of Ruby being impaled on Salem’s sharp nails almost burning her eyes.

But the serene look in her silver eye made her heart clench painfully as Ruby had looked relieved that she had the time to get away, and she sighed, trying to hold back her tears.

“She said she didn’t want us to get her, if there was a way. She doesn’t want to risk us again.”

“Like hell we’ll let her rot there!”

Both she and Yang turned surprised looks to Blake, who had curled her hands into tight fists on her lap, her ears flat against her scalp.

“We know she’s alive, now,” the faunus continued, her features hardening. “We know where she is, in theory. If Ozpin knows how to get there, I’m going.”

“Count me in,” Yang chided in after a beat of stunned silence. “We’ll bring my baby sister back.”

The pair locked eyes for a short moment, nodding decidedly to each other, before the blonde turned to Weiss, furrowing her brows when she didn’t seem about to say anything.

“Weiss?” Blake hesitantly let out, glancing at Yang shortly.

“She said not to go get her,” she let out in a whisper, her heart clenching painfully at her own words.

Her answer only caused Yang to bristle as her expression darkened, but it was Blake that spoke, her voice growing a bit accusing.

“Don’t you want her back?”

“Of course I want her back!” She snapped, gritting her teeth as she held the blanket around her shoulders with a knuckle-white hold. “Of course I want her home, safe, with us! But she’s as scared of Salem as I am, and… I think that if she asked for us not to help, then there must be a reason! You both know she never wanted the team to take unnecessary risks!”

“Unless we have to,” the faunus started quietly after a beat. “During the war-”

“It was different. Everyone had to take unnecessary risks during the war.”

To her surprise, it was Yang that spoke, softly, her gaze down on the floor as a crinkle made itself apparent between blond eyebrows, and it was evident the blonde was torn as she kept rubbing her thigh restlessly. Still, her words held enough weight for Blake to pause, turning to her wife with her ears pulled back, her lips pinched in a thin, unhappy line.

She could sympathise with Blake. If it was only her, she would already be on her way to interrogate Ozpin about everything he knew, but they had to be patient with this. It wasn’t the same as during the war.

What they wanted to do was take back Salem’s war prize from under her nose, in her own realm.

More importantly, they needed intel. One way or another, a talk with Ozpin was needed.

Seemingly arriving at the same conclusion, Yang looked up, focusing her lilac eyes on her with determined seriousness as she straightened her back, curling her free hand into a fist over her lap.

“First, we need to deal with… How did she put it? Salem’s… corruption?”

“Whatever that means,” she only muttered, looking away.

“So we need to see Ozpin either way,” Blake said as she stood, starting pacing across the space of the living room. “Well, that is if he can help us in both cases.”

Sighing deeply, the faunus rubbed at her eyes, visibly trying to calm herself as her ears were still jerked back, but not flattened against her head anymore, telling of her restlessness.

“Whatever happens next, we’ll need all of us back to fighting shape,” Blake continued, and she visibly winced at her words. “So… we should get going.”

“Did Ruby say what ‘corrupting’ meant? Or implied?” Yang then asked, seemingly deep in thoughts.

“No, she hadn’t had the time… And I didn’t think to ask.”

The blonde simply nodded with a quiet hum, and another silence fell on them as Blake ran a hand in her hair again, turning to the glass-door leading to the back yard with a loud exhale through her nose.

Thinking back of her time with Ruby, she couldn’t forget how real the feel of her hand in hers felt. Or how she had missed it. The old wound of her broken heart had seemingly started to bleed again after such a brief moment together, and even though there were many things that needed to be fixed between Weiss and Ruby when the leader disappeared, the kiss Ruby had pressed on her lips, to simply feel her after so long…

Of course she wanted her back. How could she not?

Thinking back of that moment, it also brought back the words Ruby had said at that moment, and she looked up, suddenly wanting to hug Angel so close to her and tear up all over again.

“She, um,” she started, needing to clear her throat after just one word, but she felt the stare of the two others on her. “She asked me to thank you in her place. For taking care of me.”

Both golden and lilac eyes stayed on her for a moment more, before turning to each other, conversing silently before they both nodded imperceptibly, and Yang, leaving her untouched mug on the table, slowly stood with a long exhale, before offering her left hand to her.

“Let’s get going, then,” the blonde said with a feeble smile. “It’s a long ride to Beacon.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya!
> 
> I can assure you next chapter will be the last of this story! PROMISE!

Deciding that the travel to Beacon would be by airship, as it would be safer and faster, it barely made Yang grumble as they were ready to leave. Now more than ever, Weiss regretted that, even in first class, pets weren’t allowed, because she would pay a fortune to have her dog by her side right now. Instead, Blake’s hand closed around hers, one finger gently curling around the thumb she kept driving her nail into her finger, before giving a soft, reassuring squeeze.

Yang, even though the blonde would have preferred for her to be seated in between them, had reluctantly left the window seat for Weiss, instead Blake was sitting in the middle, and she could stare outside, at the rapidly narrowing city under them before being hidden by clouds.

Focus seemed to escape her as her eyelids kept growing heavy, but she fought valiantly against sleep, the flash of the horrible reflection of her dream appearing as soon as she closed her eyes. And ever since she had woken up, there was this… uneasiness compressing her chest, her head, and she pushed it aside readily, rending the feeling to the aftermath of her earlier terror.

But the seat was comfortable under her, and the soft heat Blake gave off seemed more and more inviting as time went on, and as she let Blake lightly trace the edge of her hand, she leaned her head against the faunus’ shoulder, sighing quietly when she felt Blake press a kiss on her head as she did. As she heard the sound of Yang’s voice, probably chatting with one of the flight attendants, she let her eyes fall close, knowing that sleep would come in a blink.

She was just so tired.

_Are you sure that is wise?_

Salem’s voice, mocking, ringing right in her ears made her jerk awake, crushing Blake’s hand in panic as the echo of the witch’s laughter seemed to fill the cabin they were sitting in, even drowning the crazy beating of her heart in her ears.

As Blake and Yang stared at her, she reached a trembling hand towards one of the empty mugs on the attendant’s trolley, and she had to clear her throat to be able to talk.

“Coffee,” she managed to croak, making the lady blink. “I want coffee.”

As soon as her mug was filled, she didn’t even wait for the attendant to ask if she wanted cream or sugar before draining the contents of it, steaming hot or not, making Yang and Blake widen their eyes but they both didn’t say anything.

After the lady refilled her mug with a visibly trembling hand, she grabbed a handful of sugar packets before dropping them on her lap as the lady left with her trolley, and Blake turned to her as she was filling the black liquid with enough sugar to make it a Ruby-worthy coffee.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. I just… don’t want to sleep.”

_Oh, disappointment… I wanted to see their faces when you would tell them you can hear me talking._

Stirring with more force than necessary, she turned to the window, hoping to get lost in the white clouds below them. But as she did, the reflection on the window wasn’t quite hers.

 _I wonder how long you will last_ , Salem said in the reflection, a smirk touching her lips. _From what I have seen and by the rat, you have an extraordinary force of will. Let’s put it to the test, shall we?_

Promptly looking away, she closed the window shield flatly, making Blake’s ears flick once.

Forcing herself to drink her coffee, she couldn’t help but crinkle her nose when the excessively sweetened coffee hit her tongue, but the rush was almost instant as she took another good swallow.

 _You think staying awake will keep you from me?_ _How naïve. You two do deserve each other._

Was it her lungs that suddenly shrunk? It felt harder to breathe, now.

_I don’t think you understood fully when I said I had better access to you, thief. You being awake won’t keep me away, now. And I can’t wait to break your will._

“This is going to be a long flight,” she muttered under her breath, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

A simple chuckle answered her comment, and she forcefully ignored it, turning towards Blake as the faunus was opening a book in her lap. Upon noticing her interest, one dark eyebrow shot up, Blake’s golden eyes glancing at her.

“Do you want to read too?”

Wordlessly nodding, she rested her head against Blake’s shoulder again, sipping at her cup as the faunus held the book sideways, so both of them could read. But as much as she wanted to distract herself, she could feel this cold touch, like a light veil hovering over her skin, and she could feel this… tightness, in her chest.

And, no matter what she did, as hard as she tried to ignore it, there was always Salem’s voice, mocking and condescending, resonating in her ears.

If she could pay to make this flight go faster, she so would. In a heartbeat. And… She was sure she was going to send Ozpin into oblivion if he couldn’t help her.

_Oh, you are going to Ozpin? Well good luck with that. I can’t wait to see him again._

Feeling her shoulders drooping, she didn’t know if Salem’s mocking tone was genuine or simply part of her act. Thinking back, Ruby _did_ only think he could help. ‘Think’ being the keyword.

But, then again, if he couldn’t help, who could? Would she have to get rid of Salem on her own? How would she even do that?

Salem’s answering chuckle made her frown, for a second letting despair wash over her at the realisation that, everything Ruby had seen and heard and _felt_ , she might live them too… Thinking about Ruby brought her back to the last day of the war, remembering Ruby’s face, contorted in rage – no, pure _hatred_ – as Lucky’s body was dissolving in her arms, scattered by the breeze in a bright cloud. How Ruby went off after the witch, how she tried as best she could to follow on shaky legs, how she couldn’t follow Ruby into the portal and left her alone with Salem…

Then, her mind was transported through the portal as Ruby was all but spitted out of it, her partner landing on the glossy ground of Salem’s realm with a stumble, but she saw her tightening the grip on her weapon as the leader turned on her heels, staring right through her. The enraged expression crumbled then as she started to look around, her silver eyes widening in a telling start of panic as Ruby was clearly searching for her, but her partner couldn’t get too distracted.

As Ruby was turning on her heels again, her expression growing horrified as she couldn’t recognise anything that she could see, a dark cloud formed near her, and Ruby instantly turned to it, raising her weapon. When two long, narrow and dark shards of crystal were projected her way, Ruby hunkered down as she raised her weapon, the blade extended away from her as she leaned more of her weight on her right leg.

The position she always took when she was going to use her semblance to cut through a tough opponent.

But what should have been a flurry of rose petals and flashes of steel… was traded by a single stumble forward, and Ruby’s confused expression.

Stepping to the side at the last second to avoid being impaled on one of the shards, it wasn’t enough for it to graze against her face, and instantly the new cut on her cheekbone let out a tear of blood. It made her frown. Ruby’s Aura hadn’t even flared like it should have with a graze like that.

Ruby swirled Crescent Rose to knock over the next few shards, slowly moving to the side as she did and trying to circle back. Then, in a reprieve of shards, she made her weapon collapse to its gun form, and fired three quick shots towards the dark cloud.

Her bullets went through without damage.

As Salem’s laughter filled the entire space, Ruby visibly winced, bringing a hand to her head that fisted in her hair.

“Welcome to my domain, warrior,” Salem said, her voice resonating in her ear as if the witch was talking in it. “I am glad you accepted my invitation. I was in dire need of a pet.”

The dark cloud swirled on itself and Salem appeared out of it, standing tall and smirking at her partner as Ruby’s eyes widened again, a quiet gasp leaving her lips.

“Now,” the witch said, extending her hands on each side of her as dark red light glowed from the alabaster palms menacingly, her eyes ablaze in the dim lighting. “Let’s see how long you can entertain me.”

Sucked back to her body it felt, she jerked awake in her seat as she felt the airship land, and, blinking, she slid open the window shield, blinking again when she could see Beacon’s gates merely meters away.

 _You did want this flight to go faster_ , Salem chuckled, mocking.

A light hand on her thigh made her look over, meeting concerned golden eyes as she did.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Blake was saying, her voice a bit muffled. “We’re here.”

Her heart pounding in her chest, she numbly nodded at Blake’s reassurance, the faunus visibly relaxing to see her awake and well, Blake offered a hand as she stood while Yang left with a few words to retrieve Angel. Taking a deep breath to focus, she accepted Blake’s hand, wrapping her fingers around Blake’s and giving a soft squeeze as she did.

The faunus instantly stepped closer, her golden eyes lowering to their joined hands.

“Your hand is freezing cold,” Blake quietly let out, covering her hand with both of hers and rubbed to try and warm it. “Do you want gloves? I have mine-”

“I’m fine,” she gently stopped her, smiling as she looked up. “I don’t need gloves.”

Dark eyebrows furrowed, Blake’s eyes darting down to her hand again.

“Are you sure?” The faunus asked again, unconvinced.

“Yes, Blake, I’m sure. I’m not cold.”

“Hm. I must have held hands with Yang for too long.”

It made her huff as she lightly nudged Blake’s side, pushing her into motion gently.

“Maybe. Now let’s get going, I miss Angel already.”

Effectively making Blake snort, the faunus lead her outside the airship, and they already could see Yang coming from the back of the airship with a seemingly drowsy Angel, for the dog was stretching with a wide yawn.

After taking hold of Angel’s leash and making sure the dog was alright, they stepped on the paved ground leading all the way to Beacon’s main building, where, all the way up in the tower, was Ozpin’s office.

Blake took the lead as Yang kept rambling beside her, but she only listened with one ear. She knew the blonde was nervous as was Blake, and she didn’t want to add to this with what Salem had showed her… Or, that she could hear Salem at all.

_That is disappointing… And here I was thinking there were no lies in this team. Well, lies of omission. Then again, the rat lied to all of you for a long time…_

“Shut up,” she muttered under her breath, feeling her features hardening.

As the echo of Salem’s laugh resonated in her ears, she saw Blake’s ears swivel back her way as the faunus glanced over her shoulder at her, but she simply grimaced, waving a hand in front of her.

Then, they crossed Beacon’s gates.

As soon as her foot stepped on the pavement passed the gates, it felt like a thousand pounds dropped on her shoulders, making her knees buckle and constricting her ribcage, making it hard to breathe as a headache instantly encircled her head viciously.

_Ah, it begins. Oh, did the rat forgot to mention that Beacon’s grounds are hiding a repellent spell? Since I am the only one besides Ozpin who can use magic, everyone will know that we are linked together. I would thread carefully from now on, thief._

Trying her best not to show her queasiness, she let Angel, who was following Blake and Yang, pull her into motion again as she focused on how to breathe, dragging one foot in front of the other, and she was barely aware of Yang placing a hand against her back, seemingly guiding her.

The tightness in her chest kept worsening with each step she took, and as they finally reached the elevator, Blake pressing on the top panel to give their destination, she all but slouched in the corner, trying to catch her breath as she felt dizzy, her head swimming.

“Weiss? Are you okay?” Yang’s voice was close but she didn’t have the strength to look up at her as she blinked. “You’re sweating pinballs.”

“Is it- is it hot in here or is it just me?” She tried, hoping it would defuse the tense tone Yang had took.

There was a moment of silence as the elevator started its climb up, and the pressure _somehow_ got even heavier on her, and this time, she couldn’t hold back a groan as she closed her eyes, pressing the heel of her hand against her temple.

Even Angel was huddled in a corner, on the very edge of her leash and staring at her with her ears pulled back.

“I really don’t feel so good,” she finally admitted, allowing this moment of weakness.

When she opened her eyes again, both Blake and Yang were staring at her across the cabin of the elevator, their eyes wide in muted horror, and she felt slightly offended at that.

“What? I just have a migraine, there’s no need to act like-”

As she brought her hand back down, she finally saw what had caught the attention of her teammates as she stilled, a horrified shiver running down her spine and, for a moment, eclipsing everything else.

Her hand. Her hand, that wasn’t quite hers anymore, as dark slime seeped from her skin and gathered over her hand, before solidifying there and creating long, boney claws that were without a doubt as sharp as steel. As her hand turned black from the slime as it started creeping up her arm, bone-armor plating formed on the back of her hand, continuing at the start of her wrist as the slime was slowly turning her lower arm black.

 _A repellant spell,_ Salem was saying, and she could almost hear the head tilt in her voice. _Which means that it_ repels _the dark magic within one so it can be exposed and seen. I told you to proceed with caution, thief._

“Shut up!” She snarled, pressing herself as far away from her teammates as possible against the steel wall of the elevator.

“We didn’t say anything!”

Shaking her head as the pressure in her head grew intolerable, she brought her hands to hold it, letting out a pained whine, before remembering her arm that was turning into a very convincing Grimm version.

Her eyes falling on the handle of Blake’s weapon poking out from the faunus’ shoulder, she extended her arm in front of her, earning a quiet growl from Angel.

“Cut it,” she pleaded, locking her eyes with Blake’s and effectively making the golden ones widen in surprise. “Cut it, I don’t want to be one of them!”

As Blake hesitated, the soft chime of the elevator told them they had arrived at destination as the doors slid open, and before any of them could move or talk, a sharp pain tore through her chest, making her fall to her knees, gasping for breath.

“I can’t breathe!” Panting in vain, she clutched desperately at her chest, the tightness from earlier now crushing her lungs and making it impossible to take a breath. “I can’t… breathe!”

She vaguely heard a commotion around her, but she wasn’t paying much attention to it until two pair of hands took her by the arms and pulled her to her feet, and she realised it was Blake and Yang, both looking right in front of them as they were following… Glynda Goodwitch?

She could hear her breaths coming out in rasps as she simply let her feet dragging behind her, knowing that her teammates were strong enough to carry her, and she glanced over to look at her hand, which was darkened up to the elbow, now. A long piece of armor was forming there, a long, sharp end over her elbow.

As she returned her glassy stare in front of her, she realised she was being led to Ozpin’s office, as the man in question, well, Oscar in fact, was rising from behind his desk.

But as soon as they crossed the doorframe and into the office, she felt like she was burning alive.

The sheer agony shook her into motion as, using her clawed hand, she planted the claws in the wall firmly as she screamed, making Blake jump in surprise as she let go, and with the meager strength she had left in her, she crawled back out the office and into the hallway, feeling the flames coursing through her veins cease immediately.

She fought against the pain searing through her entire being, trying to get back on her feet, but she barely moved her arm that pain flared again, and she lost consciousness, falling into darkness as Salem’s laugh was ringing in her ears again.

 

****

 

The sound of her own panting slowly came to her ears, along with the sound of her footsteps on the ground, and her heart was beating so loudly that each beat echoed in the part of the forest they were in. She was running behind Ruby, her partner’s battered, red cape flapping in the wind, as a few petals detached from it, telling that her leader was about to use her semblance.

The war. They were chasing Salem, after Lucky’s death, and then Ruby passed in the portal and she didn’t…

Using every and last reserve of energy she could muster, she summoned a glyph under her feet, helping her along as she sped after Ruby, and she reached over, feeling the soft, always so soft fabric of the red cape against her fingertips…

Then the portal closed without her, taking Ruby with it, and she was left only a few paces from the cliff.

Instantly pulling on the brakes, she summoned a dark glyph in front of her, hoping it would stop her but it shattered, and she could feel the thin thread of Aura within her whisper as it vanished with it, and as she rolled towards a most certain death, planted Myrtenaster in the dirt, hanging from the edge.

The scene replayed in front of her eyes as if she was back there again, and she could feel all her muscles straining and sore, and her heart was lodged in her throat, yet again, when the narrow blade snapped.

She held out her hand, trying to grab the rocky edge, a root, a rock, _something_ , even though a small voice in the back of her head reminded her that Blake would catch her, that that was what happened.

But she kept falling, a scream bubbling in her throat, and much later than what happened, too late to help, Blake appeared, yelling her name so loudly that even with the wind roaring in her ears, it pierced them all the same.

Blake had come too late. The realisation made her rising panic all the more real as she let out the scream she had tried to repress, trying again and again to summon glyphs under her to slow her descend, but one after the other she crashed into them and shattered them without it even slowing her down.

She could see the ground coming closer quickly, far too quickly, and in one last desperate attempt to save her life, she turned towards the rocky side of the cliff, hoping she would grab onto something and not break her arm as she did.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time to try.

She had hoped to die with the fall, hoped that she wouldn’t feel any of the pain, but apparently she survived.

Somehow, she had survived the fall. How she wished she hadn’t.

When she woke up, there wasn’t even a single inch of her that wasn’t in pain. Even bating an eyelash sent searing hot agony through her skull.

Trying to open her eyes as her head swam in pain, her vision was blurred on one side, and a sharp ache rose in her head as she tried to keep her eyes open.

She let them fall close.

She decided to list her injuries, already knowing she was going to die here all alone.

As soon as she shifted her arm, pain flared, sharp and hot, making her let out a loud cry. She soon realised it was the same for her other arm, and her legs.

There was the taste of iron on her tongue, and she figured she had bit her tongue or her cheek during the fall.

Her breaths came out in rasps, and it grew wheezy as the seconds passed, and she soon understood that the taste of blood in her mouth wasn’t a cut as she coughed, her chest heaving as she couldn’t breathe properly.

From the pain radiating from her chest, and how each breath felt more difficult than the next, she knew her ribs had punctured her lungs.

A rueful laugh escaped her bloodied lips before she started chocking, coughing up more blood as the seconds trickled by.

She was going to die, her body broken, drowning in her own blood with the knowledge that she hadn’t been fast enough to help her partner, and all alone. Desperately alone.

In the distance, she could hear someone calling her name, and judging by the rapidly increasing sound of it, figured that Blake had jumped after her, rappelling from the side of the cliff with her weapon.

Fighting for a single breath, hoping to see her teammate one last time, it only managed to choke her more, and no amount of coughing was helping, now.

Her mind falling to darkness as the last of her fight shook her a few more times, the last thing she heard was Blake gasping her name, and she heard her scurry closer. But she was gone before she could feel her friend kneel by her side.

So close, and yet so far at the same time.

///////////////////////////

Waking up with a long, sharp intake of air, as if she had been deprived of air for too long, she took a moment to breathe, not yet willing to open her eyes. Just to be sure, she tried moving her arms.

There was no pain when she tried to move them, but she felt restrains keeping her arms from moving.

Snapping her eyes open, she blinked as she turned her head, letting out a soft whine as bright white neon lights were quietly buzzing above her head, hurting her eyes. Opening them again, slowly this time, she narrowed her eyes as she adjusted to the lighting of the room, trying to see what was around her.

Well, her arms were indeed bound to the bed she was laying on, her arms held to the side but not against her. She noticed that the arm that had looked like a Grimm’s was back to normal again, and she released a breath of relief. Raising her head with a pained groan as her head swam a bit, dizzy, she looked over herself, noticing that her legs, too, were bound to the bed with large leather straps.

Letting her head fall back on the pillow, she realised she had one, and with that she glanced around, trying to understand where she was.

But everything around her was foreign. The smell, the lighting, the walls, even the bed… It looked like she was in some kind of panic room, without windows but one large mirror, with tall white walls and a single metal door, in a corner of the room.

“Hello?” She tried, straining her ear to hear something beside her increasingly panicked breathing and heartbeat. “Is there anyone?”

 _Oh, but you are not alone, child,_ Salem’s honey-coated voice sounded in her ears, making her freeze instantly. _I hope you liked your nap, by the way. I decided to tinker with your dream._

Gritting her teeth as she clenched her fists, she let her head fall against the pillow again, this time harder.

 _You know, it was enlightening,_ Salem continued, pleased to torment her. _While your beloved feared everyone dying before she could protect them, you, thief, fear of being alone. Of dying alone. Is it why you always sought the rat’s presence whenever you dreamed of dying on the surgery table? Or why you went to your teammates when you were too weak to even walk properly, while you grieved for the warrior? You thought you would die in your sleep, didn’t you?_

Even if she couldn’t see her, she could feel Salem scrutinising her, feel her cold fingers filing though her memories and she tried to free herself from her bounds, struggling violently as she gritted her teeth merely to hiss at the annoying voice in her head.

“You really do like the sound of your own voice,” she let out, and she almost could feel the glare Salem was surely serving her. “I don’t need you to analyse me, so fuck off.”

A long, reproving hum was heard as she could feel, ghosting over her skin with ice-cold fingers, Salem’s hand running up her arm before stopping over her throat, feeling the light pressure of the nails there as she swallowed.

 _Now there is no need to be rude, nor to be so crude,_ the witch let out, and the displeasure was clear in her voice as she felt the pressure of nails increasing against her skin. _The rat failed to mention you used tasteless expressions such as these. I thought you were better than that._

There was a beat of silence as the feel of nails being dragged down her throat to the hollow of it made a cold shiver ran down her spine, and her eyes widened in frozen panic when a sharp flash of pain coming from between her collarbones made her breath caught in her throat, feeling a cold sensation seeping from that point and spread through her chest.

 _Oh you should see the rat squirming whenever I am threatening you_ , Salem almost purred, all too pleased with the reactions. _It’s almost endearing._

Feeling her lungs constricted again, she pushed her head back as she wheezed, trying to breathe properly as she pulled on her arms, trying to free them. Desperately gasping for breath, panic bubbled in the pit of her stomach as she glanced around, trying to find something that would help.

At that moment the door opened with one long metallic whine, and with a hiss from Salem the cold pressure constricting her lungs left, letting her catch her breath as she looked over to see who was coming in, and a wave of relief washed over her when she did.

“Yang!” She all but sighed, struggling against her bounds again. “What- What’s going on? Where are we? Why am I tied up?”

For a second the blonde stood in the doorway, examining her, before carefully stepping inside, and the hard and wary expression on the blonde’s face was enough evidence to tell her that Yang was being cautious. Closing the door behind her as noisily as it opened, the blonde was apparently content to take her time before answering.

“Don’t you remember what happened?” Yang finally let out, an edge to her voice.

Furrowing her brows as her heart sank in her chest, she shook her head vehemently, combing her memories to try and piece together what had happened.

“The last thing I remember is when we came to Beacon,” she breathed out, lowering her eyes to try and remember better. “We were riding the elevator, and I felt… My arm,” she turned to her now normal arm, opening and closing her hand into a fist. “It was changing… And… When we got to Ozpin’s office, it felt… I was…”

“Save it,” Yang snarled, and she looked up again, her eyes widening in surprise as the lilac in the blonde’s eyes was shifting to red. “I know it’s just a silly game you’re playing, Salem. Again.”

“What? No! Yang, it’s me!” She struggled against her bounds again, locking her eyes with the blonde, _hoping_ she could see it in her eyes. “Yang, please, what’s going on?”

The blonde narrowed her eyes, but her expression seemed to falter slightly.

“You nearly killed my wife.”

Freezing her struggles, she felt her eyes widening as she stared at her friend, her friend that had become so important to her in the space of a year. As she could hear Salem chuckling in the back of her head, she gulped down a breath.

“What did I do to Blake?” She asked in a whisper, dreading the answer.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” The blonde roared, hitting the nearest wall with her prosthetic and effectively leaving a dent there, her hair starting glowing and smoking. “You know damn well what you did!”

“And I’m telling you I don’t remember!” She snapped, her eyes already welling up as she pulled against her bonds to see her better. “What did I do to Blake?”

The angry expression on Yang’s face melted in an instant, her eyes shifting back to lilac as the glow in her hair vanished along with the smoke, and instead the blonde straightened her back, seemingly in complete disbelief.

“Weiss?” Yang blinked, a bit confused. “Is it really you?”

“Yes!” She couldn’t help the smile on her lips, relieved.

Observing a small silence, Yang took another single step closer, her hands closed into tight fists on each side of her.

“What’s my favorite color?” The blonde asked cautiously.

“Orange!” She instantly answered. “Or yellow-gold like Blake’s eyes, depending of the day.”

“What’s Blake’s?”

“Lilac! Like your eyes, it reminds her of Menagerie’s sunrise. Some days it’s purple- You know the one, the dark purple of my nail polish.”

Taking another step closer, the blonde’s expression softened then, her head tilting slightly.

“What’s yours?”

“Red,” she softly let out without an ounce of hesitation. “The shade Ruby’s lips took whenever we kissed.”

Grimacing with a weak huff, Yang sniffled as her eyes welled up, and the blonde sat on the edge of the bed beside her, carefully observing her.

“I’ve never been happier to hear you being mushy,” the blonde softly let out, quickly wiping her eyes. “You’ve been gone for almost a week.”

Blinking, it took her a moment before finding her voice again.

“What-What do you mean, I was gone?”

“I mean it wasn’t _you_ ,” the blonde insisted, lightly tapping a finger to her forehead. “It was Salem.”

Furrowing her brows as she felt a cold, invisible hand ghosting over her cheek, she almost could feel, in the back of her head, Salem smirking with a tilt of her head as she heard the quiet chuckle of the witch resonating in her ears, she shook her head, leveling her stare to Yang, a dreadful feeling making her heart sink in her chest.

“What did I do to Blake?” She asked in a whisper, closing her hands into tight, trembling fists.

“Not you,” the blonde sighed, her shoulders drooping as she looked away, and only now she could see how exhausted Yang really was. “Salem.”

“How is Blake?” She asked instead, pressing.

The long, agonising silence that followed sent a cold shiver down her spine as she waited for Yang, the blonde fidgeting with her prosthetic all the while as she opened and closed her mouth, and Yang had to clear her throat before speaking. But even if she did, her voice wavered with the first words.

“She’s stable, for now,” the blonde started, added with a small shrug. “Some of her organs were hit, and she lost a whole lot of blood. Although, we still expect complications for her organs. She’s kept into drug-induced coma, to avoid her being in pain all the time.”

“What happened?”

“When you passed out, in Ozpin’s office, we thought you were out-cold. But, Ozpin explained to us afterwards that there was a repelling spell all across campus, and it brought Salem out, if I can say it like that. When we were carrying you, your arm that had turned Grimm, you- Salem,” Yang corrected herself, keeping her eyes on the floor. “Used the claws to nearly cut Blake in half. If it weren’t for Glynda, Salem would have done the same to me.”

As a silence fell in the room, every word sinking and burning Weiss’ brain, there was this pressure in her head again, encircling her brain and sending flashed of pain behind her eyes, and as her breath caught in her throat, Yang turned her eyes to her again, worry contorting her features, but before the blonde could say something, she was sucked in the bed.

Letting out a yelp of surprise as the white room vanished along with Yang, she found herself floating in an ocean of darkness, feeling weightless, and she gritted her teeth as she could feel the cold touch sliding across her shoulders, swiftly turning around and finding herself face-to-face with none other than the witch herself.

Salem stood in the darkness with her chin held high, a victorious smile on her lips as the witch tilted her head to the side slightly, making the ornaments in her hair sway.

“Did you like this version?” Salem asked, her voice smooth like honey. “Or do you want another?”

“What do you mean?” She snarled, closing her hands into fists. “I don’t want anything from you!”

The witch merely clicked her tongue, smirking again. Flicking her wrist to the side, Salem arched a single eyebrow as light spread beside them, illuminating something.

“Are you sure I don’t have something you want?” The witch chuckled, mocking, before pointing for her to look over.

Narrowing her eyes in warning, her attention was nonetheless brought to whatever Salem wanted to show her as she heard a groan, along with the sound of chains clanking and echoing in the darkness surrounding them.

It showed a body curled up on the glossy ground of Salem’s realm, and she recognised the dirty tunic as long, dark hair was sprawled everywhere. Ruby was there, her hands tied together in rough, metal handcuffs as a chain was leading to a wall, every chain link big and heavy, and her partner was shivering as her breaths came out in a cloud of steam.

“Ruby!” She instantly yelled, trying to go to her, but whatever she did she stayed at the same distance, never meeting solid ground under her feet or against her hands. “What are you doing to her?!” She roared back at the witch, who was observing the scene with apparent disdain.

“She disobeyed by trying to save you,” Salem explained with patience, as if she was explaining something to a young child. “Bad pets need to be punished. But you are already familiar with this particular way of thinking, don’t you?”

In the distance, a sudden, very familiar scream of rage made her freeze, her heart jumping in her throat and her shoulders going up as she recognised the voice; her father.

“And here I was thinking I was your biggest fear,” Salem sighed, shaking her head.

As she took a step to the side, reaching a hand until alabaster fingers met with something solid, and under her hand, the pale blue bedroom walls appeared, eclipsing the darkness around them and Ruby vanishing from view as she stood in the middle of the room, and as she looked down at herself she realised she was wearing her nightgown and her hair was down, too.

As she looked up, she had a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and she could see her eyes puffy and red from crying as, behind her out the window, soft, big snowflakes were slowly falling and covering Atlas in a white blanket.

Salem stood in front of the door as she smirked at her, returning her hand by her side as she tilted her head, and again, another yell from her father was coming from out the door, making her bristle.

“Let’s revisit this particular time of your life, hm? I want to see your demon up close,” the witch whispered as the door flew open, and she disappeared in a dark cloud that seemed invisible to her father’s eyes as Jacques stumbled inside her room, cane in hand.

She remembered that night vividly, and she swallowed as she stepped back, her back bumping against the dresser. Her father had been drunk. It was also the only time he ever followed her to her bedroom to ‘punish’ her.

But she wasn’t fourteen anymore, she thought as she saw her father pull on his tie as he was panting, the smell of alcohol strong in his breath, and the light of the hallway was lighting him from behind, rending his silhouette a simple shadow as his eyes glinted with fury, drilled on her and making her shake in silent terror. This was simply a trick Salem was pulling on her. This time had passed, like every other. She had stood up to her father, already.

So, as her father raised his cane, she stood there, raising her chin high even though she was shaking like a leaf, with her fists closed tightly on her sides. As Jacques roared in fury with a strike, she closed her eyes out of reflex.

But the hit never came.

Snapping her eyes open as she let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, she realised she was alone again, surrounded in darkness, and she let herself relax, knowing that if she hadn’t been hanging in the void she would have fell to her knees as her legs were temporarily as solid as jelly. Still with her heart thundering in her ears with her hands shaking, she looked up when she hear the whisper of fabric in front of her, realising that Salem was there.

The witch, apparently satisfied of the unraveling of the scene, brought her hands in front of her to slowly clap a few times, and when Weiss simply raised a trembling chin in defiance, Salem huffed daintily, her hands falling back to her sides.

“Defiance suits you, thief,” the witch calmly let out as she started walking leisurely around her, the sound of her footfalls echoing in the darkness surrounding them. “But I am not as forgiving as your dear, beloved father. As you know,” she added, flicking her wrist so Ruby appeared again.

But something had changed, this time. Ruby was curled up in a tighter ball, now shaking visibly as blood had frozen on her tunic, fresh lacerations all across her arms and back. The cloud of steam from her partner’s breathing was bigger, quicker, and at the sight of some frozen strands of hair, she knew it was colder than earlier.

“What did you do to her?!” She snarled, fury sparking to life and spreading in a flash in her entire being.

“My, I simply used her as a reminder,” Salem coyly let out, crossing the void to kneel beside Ruby only to pet her hair, making her partner stir as her single silver eye looked up to the witch. “Remember, thief,” Salem let out, poison in her voice now. “I don’t like disobedience. And since you don’t care about yourself, I will use her, since you two seemed fond of protecting each other. Every time you defy me, every time you disobey, this _rat_ ,” the witch hissed through gritted teeth, the hand that was petting her partner’s hair fisting painfully and snatching a pained whine from Ruby, “Will take _your_ punishment.”

Before she could say anything, she was sucked into darkness again, and even if she flailed as hard as she could, nothing slowed her down.

//////////////////////////

“Ruby!” She gasped as she jerked awake.

“Woah, easy!” Yang’s voice was directly in her ear, filled with concern. “Don’t move too much, we’re nearly there.”

“Nearly where?” She breathed, shaking her head to try and get rid of the pressure hurting her eyes, feeling her entire being sore and weak.

Blinking her eyes open as she tried to look around, she saw that Blake was right beside her as the faunus brushed a lock out of her face, holding Angel’s leash as the dog followed to the foot. She realised Yang was carrying her, not recognising the hallway they were in but the two figures leading the way familiar, until she looked down at herself, and a cold shiver ran down her spine as she stared, her eyes widening in panic.

Her right arm was still changed, the long claws curled inoffensively against her stomach.

“Where you dreaming of Ruby?” Blake asked quietly, the back of her fingers caressing her cheek in a soft caress.

“Don’t touch me!” She yelped, moving in Yang’s arms until the blonde had no choice but to let her down. “Stay away from me!”

As the group stopped to look over at her, she stumbled to the wall, cursing under her breath at her still weakened legs, and she huddled against it, cradling her Grimm arm against her as she slumped to her knees, not strong enough to go any further.

“Miss Schnee,” Oscar, with the amber glint in his eyes telling that it was Ozpin talking, said as he took a step closer. “Welcome back. I know you must be confused, right now, but-”

“Stay away!” She insisted, curling on herself when Blake tentatively tried to come closer. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

The tall ears folded back as the faunus only stared at her, speechless, and Ozpin patiently resumed, apparently not minding the interruption.

“As I was saying, you must be quite confused,” he said, leaning his hands on his cane in front of him. “But as Miss Xiao Long has said, we are nearly arrived.”

“Where are we going?” She asked, glaring when, this time, Yang was the one trying to get closer.

“A secured wing of the school,” the headmaster dipped his head diligently, willing to reassure her. “Where you will be able to rest until we find a solution for this… particular problem.”

“But I’m dangerous,” she weakly tried to counter, lowering her eyes to her Grimm arm, noticing only now that the slime had stopped just above her elbow.

“I think you were far more dangerous before Salem infected you,” the headmaster said, visibly meaning it as a joke until Yang glared at him, and Ozpin cleared his throat, his expression returning to a serious one. “Don’t worry. Salem cannot reach you here.”

_What does he know?_

The mocking tone of the witch resonating in her ears made her freeze again, clutching her Grimm hand a bit harder against her chest.

Taking advantage of her stillness, Yang was by her side again, and even if she tried to get away, the blonde took her in her arms again, holding her close to her, and she kept a vice grip on her Grimm arm, focusing on keeping it close in case… in case something happened.

She was so focused on her task that she only realised they had arrived when Yang moved to set her down on a bed, small but comfortable, and as she glanced around, realised it was awfully familiar. The simple thing that had changed was the bed. And, on one of the walls was a large mirror, one that made her narrow her eyes suspiciously.

“Hey,” Yang’s voice brought her attention back to the blonde as she crouched in front of her, gently rubbing her knee and the touch made her relax. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you out of this mess, and then, we’ll get Ruby.”

The simple mention of her partner made her eyes widen, and she promptly pressed her hands over her ears, making the blonde raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“She hears everything I hear,” she whispered, hoping Yang would get the message. “And sees whatever I see.”

The blonde’s face scrunched up instantly, and Yang leaned closer, carefully glancing towards the mirror and confirming her suspicions on the way.

Great. A two-way mirror to observe her, like the guinea pig she was.

_You have no idea how right you are._

Managing to supress the eye roll Salem’s comment elicited, it was Yang’s whisper that brought her attention back.

“I thought she couldn’t reach you here.”

“Oh, she’s definitely there,” she affirmed with a humorless chuckle, clutching at her Grimm arm.

As the blonde sat on her haunches, staring at her carefully, and the intensity of her stare made her shift on the bed as she looked over at the mirror, suddenly realising that Blake and the others weren’t in the room with them.

As she opened her mouth to let some snarky comment about suddenly being an experiment instead of someone in need, Yang beat her to it.

“She’s talking to you,” the blonde figured out, a single twitch of her eyebrows telling of her surprise. “Ruby… Ruby told me she could hear her voice sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” She complained in a whiny voice, regretting it instantly.

 _We didn’t have this level of access until much, much later_ , Salem almost purred in her ears, and she felt her ice-cold touch hover over her shoulders. _Besides, you are special, thief. I will let the pleasure of telling you to my dear Ozpin._

The name was all but spitted, full of venom, out of Salem’s mouth, and it was enough to make her shiver, but it made Yang’s expression closed as she kept staring at her, seemingly understanding the situation. As Yang stood, pausing briefly to press a kiss against her forehead, Salem hummed appreciatively.

_She’s smarter than she looks. Definitely smarter than her sister._

“You just rest, okay?” The blonde murmured against her skin before pulling away, but still returned a stray lock behind her ear. “We’ll be watching over you,” she added, pointing at the mirror. “So if there’s anything, you just have to ask. You’ll never be alone. Okay?”

Holding Yang’s stare for a second, she turned to the mirror, suddenly wondering if all of this was a good idea even though she knew it was the best thing to do. Like she said to Yang, the witch could hear whatever she heard, and see whatever she saw. She was silently glad Salem didn’t choose Blake. With the faunus’ hearing, nowhere was far enough not to be heard.

 _Oh don’t worry, she is next on my list,_ Salem was scoffing. _This one_ dared _hurting me._ _Besides,_ the witch added, and she could almost hear the devious smile in her voice. _The brute will be that much easier to grasp once she is all alone. Abandoned of the people she care about. If the rat was ever useful, it was to tell me her sister’s weaknesses._

Silently giving a single thumb up to Yang, never minding how it was trembling, the blonde furrowing her brows at that but said nothing as she turned to leave, she wondered how in the world Ruby could ever share those things with the enemy.

_She didn’t give them willingly, if it can ease your mind._

The mocking tone the witch took struck a nerve as she suddenly stood, not knowing where to turn her anger, but the motion made Yang pause as she had reached the door, turning to glance over at her with a questioning eyebrow. Once again giving her a thumb up, she forced a smile, one that absolutely didn’t reassure Yang in the slightest, but the blonde still left her alone, closing the door behind her, and the sound of the lock echoed in the empty room more loudly than she would have liked.

Still, as soon as she was alone, she turned away from the mirror, deciding to pace across the space the room could give.

“You are one crazy… witch,” she hissed under her breath, gritting her teeth so hard she was sure they could shatter.

_That was a nice save, thief. I was so close of adding another scar to your beloved’s back._

“Don’t hurt her,” she snarled, turning sharply on her heel as she was met with the wall. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

_Did you really? You just told the brute not to say relevant information in front of you, so I couldn’t hear. That sounds like a bit of defiance._

“I didn’t say that!”

_Do I have to remind you what is at stake?_

Her vision of the stark white room was traded by the dim lighting of the surrounding crystals in Salem’s realm, and she could see Ruby, chained to the same wall, her tunic gone and her entire being covered in cuts and burns, blood dripping from her partner’s elbows, wetting her hair and pooling under her knees. She could hear the wheezing pants Ruby let out as she hung limply from her chains, her head hung low as her hair fell and hid her face from view.

She shortly wondered if someone could ever survive this many injuries.

The sight of Ruby vanished then, and she was suddenly back in the room with the buzzing neon lights, and she swayed on her feet, stumbling to the side as she felt dizzy after such a sight.

_Now, I hope you won’t forget._

Stumbling back until it met the wall behind her, she sank down against it, pulling her knees against her chest as she suddenly found it was hard to breathe, the knowledge of holding Ruby’s life in her hands too much to bear for a moment.

 

****

 

When Yang entered the dark room adjacent to the observation room, the first thing she saw was Glynda, standing close to the window leading to the room and taking notes as Weiss started pacing, muttering incomprehensibly under her breath. Then, turning to Blake, her wife offered a small, anxious smile, standing beside the older Huntress with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Oscar was bent over and gently petting Angel, who was pitifully huddled in a corner with the saddest look the dog could muster.

Taking the time to close the door behind her, she joined Blake at the window, seeing the angry twist on Weiss’ lips as she kept mumbling under her breath.

“She can hear the witch,” she announced solemnly, earning every eye of the room. “Even here. What was that thing about Salem not able to reach her here, then?” She snarled as she turned to Oscar, the young man blinking before standing.

As he did, the flash of amber in his eye signaled that Ozpin was in control again.

“I didn’t think their link was so well underway,” the headmaster admitted with a slight frown. “Although it shouldn’t have surprised me.”

“This is all wrong!” She insisted sharply, making Blake’s ears lower for a second. “It took Ruby months before she could hear Salem!”

“And how long has it been since Miss Schnee’s first touch with Salem?” Ozpin calmly countered, resting his hands on the cane.

Glancing over at Blake, her wife merely dipped her head.

“R-Ruby heard her sometimes,” she backpedaled then, holding her wife’s stare for a second before returning it to the headmaster. “Not constantly.”

“And what is a Seer?” Blake asked, turning around. “We didn’t see anything like it in our classes.”

“It is simply because Seers are not like any other Grimm,” Ozpin explained, turning to the faunus with a slight tilt of his head. “They are Salem’s eyes and ears in our world. They are… merely messengers between realms.”

“How can they slip into the city?” This time she asked. “We had one in our own room without us knowing!”

“Well, as messengers, they are hidden behind dark magic. If you have seen it, it may be because the spell was lifted in some way.”

The sudden but quiet hum Glynda let out made both her and Blake look up at her, and upon seeing the older woman still staring inside the room as she pushed her glasses higher on her nose, they turned to look at Weiss, seeing the smaller woman now curled up against the wall, her Grimm arm now evident as it closed around Weiss’ knee.

“And what’s up with this?” She asked as she turned around again. “Ruby never grew Grimm limbs!”

“As far as you know,” the headmaster retorted back, arching a single eyebrow. “Still, I have placed a spell on Beacon’s grounds several decades ago, to keep Salem at bay.”

“Then why didn’t it revert back?”

“Once it is seen, it stays that way until the darkness is gone.”

“But how could the Grimm invade Beacon, then, years ago?”

“Grimm don’t have souls,” Glynda answered for Ozpin as she returned to her note-taking activity. “Salem does.”

Staying silent this time, she returned her attention to Weiss as the smaller woman hid her face as she pressed her forehead against her kneecaps, and to see her alone in the empty room twisted her guts painfully. She felt a soft touch on her arm, Blake seemingly feeling her unease, and reaching out to calm her.

“So what do we do now?” She softly let out, keeping her eyes on Weiss.

“For now, we observe,” Glynda answered again, looking up from her pad shortly. “We have to know how far Salem’s corruption is. And then…”

“And then, we help,” Ozpin continued when the older woman trailed off. “Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?” Blake repeated, her tone accusing. “What do you mean, ‘hopefully’?”

“I mean that it might be too late to help,” the headmaster quietly let out as he stepped closer to the window, his expression solemn. “I hope it isn’t.”

 

****

 

Three days later, Weiss was still locked in the room, and in those days she had barely moved in the room, but traded her spot on the ground to be curled up on the bed, preferring to be somewhat out of sight.

During those days, Blake and Yang had kept her company sometimes, and Angel had come with them until the dog would only growl at her, calming down only when they got her out of the room, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk, or do anything. She was barely sleeping, the idea of food was tying her stomach into knots, and she was just too tired to entertain a conversation. Although, Salem seemed willing to talk for the both of them.

Now, she was alone again, in the same spot on the bed, trying to ignore the witch standing across from her and staring at her with a mocking smile. She had started seeing her on the second day, at first small glimpses, but as the day dragged on the witch’s form was more and more present.

Until it was constant. Like now.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Salem was saying in false sympathy as she stepped closer to the bed, sitting on the edge of it to look at her. “Look at you, all alone. Locked away, just like your father did to you. Do you think they still know you are here? It wouldn’t surprise me that they forgot. Such a worthless thing like you is easily forgotten.”

Numbly looking away, she settled her eyes on the her right hand, still looking like a Grimm’s, and once again, she used the sharp point of the claw to scratch at the back of her left hand, not even wincing at the pain by now. Without surprise, a tear of blood formed before rolling down her hand, the red of it that much darker as she knew it was mixed with slime, now.

Sometimes she could hear the faint exclamations coming from behind the mirror, wondering what they were talking about.

“You know what they are talking about, child,” Salem was cooing, reaching an alabaster hand to brush a few bangs from her face somewhat tenderly. “They are wondering how to kill you, since they can’t save you.”

Then, the soft tone shifted as the witch leaned closer, close enough to speak right in her ear as each breath tickled the side of her face.

“But they can’t kill you,” Salem smiled wickedly, her blood-red eyes staring at her intensely. “They will try, your body will die, but when it will, you,” the witch said as she lifted her chin to lock eyes, her gaze focused on her. “Will be mine.”

Jerking away from the witch’s touch, she returned her attention on her hands again, scratching another straight line beside the other as her Aura had started to heal it already.

“Then, I will take my Grimm back from you,” Salem breathed in her ear, poison in every word. “And it will break you, thief. And it will be wonderful.”

Scratching again, and again and again, trying to numb the witch’s words with pain even though she knew it was in vain, she wondered why she still cared. She was going to die here, from Salem or something else, she didn’t know yet. But there was a part of her that was sure she would never see the light of day again.

“And indeed, you won’t,” the witch kept murmuring in her ear, her presence seemingly wrapping around her in a cold touch as she kept scratching. “Because they don’t care about someone selfish like you. About someone as broken as you. They don’t want to mend your pieces back together, they just want to crush them into smaller pieces, until… Until you are unfixable. And that’s why they are letting you rot here. Alone. So desperately alone.”

A spot of blood was darkening the white sheets of the bed as she kept scratching her hand, the pain numbed as she felt empty inside, and she was about to start scratching her arm when a hand closed around her right wrist, squeezing tightly as her Grimm hand was pulled away.

“Stop,” Blake demanded as she sat in front of her, and she blinked slowly, wondering why the faunus even bothered. “This isn’t helping.”

“You’re not, too,” she retorted quietly, but let Blake take her injured hand to look over it.

Her comment was met with silence as the tall ears folded back guiltily against Blake’s dark hair, but the faunus kept her attention on her hand, opening the small white box Blake had carried with her to take a piece of cloth to gently clean the blood on her hand, looking over her injuries.

She watched her work in silence as Blake applied a cream over the freshly healed scratches, just to be sure, and she noticed Salem, standing now, lean over Blake menacingly, her hand hovering over the faunus’ dark head.

“If you want, I could make her pay for leaving you alone, and, worst, locking you here,” Salem was saying, one of her dark nails ghosting over the line of Blake’s ears. “I could make her see what I will do to her beloved wife, once I get my hands on-”

“Leave her alone!” She snarled, suddenly having enough, using her Grimm hand to claw at the witch over Blake’s head. “If you ever touch a single strand of her hair, I will make you pay!”

The faunus, frozen in place for a moment, was oblivious to Salem as the witch let out an inhuman growl, but apparently the witch relented as she vanished in a dark cloud. For the moment alone with Blake, she let out a sigh as she settled back on her pillow, before meeting confused golden eyes.

“She can do whatever the hell she wants with me,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “But I won’t let her hurt one of you.”

There was a long silence as Blake’s soft touch left her hand, and she heard the faunus close the box. Blake took a silent breath in, before letting it out slowly.

“So you can really see her?”

Lying was only wasted energy, and so, she nodded as she opened her eyes again, seeing the faunus’ thoughtful expression as she kept her golden eyes on her Grimm hand, seemingly examining it closely. To satisfy Blake’s curiosity, she brought it closer, opening her hand and turning it, and she even let the faunus take her hand to take a closer look.

“She left, for now. I guess she was tired of bullying me.”

It earned a flash of golden as Blake glanced at her shortly, squeezing the hand in hers.

“But I have to say, being locked in here… her bullying is working more than I’m willing to admit.”

Her quiet admittance made Blake pause again as she looked up from her Grimm hand, and she simply looked away, hating how she felt like she was asking for attention.

Maybe Salem was right. She _was_ being selfish. Always have been.

But Blake didn’t seem to mind as the faunus left her Grimm hand to scoot closer, bringing a hand to brush back the hair that fell in her face as she set her chin on the mattress, her golden eyes observing her as Blake kept her touch light. The warmth emanating from the touch made her close her eyes as Blake gently petted her head, massaging a bit, and under the soft touch she allowed herself a moment of weakness.

“I’m going to die here, isn’t it?” She murmured, feeling her chin trembling in the start of a sob. “I’m already filled with slime, and-”

“What? No!” Blake instantly countered, straightening her back as she tried to lean closer. “You are not going to die. Not on our watch, Weiss. Believe me, we’re trying to get things going faster, but Ozpin… Ozpin seems to take his sweet time. I stopped Yang from ripping his head off three times, already,” the faunus tried to joke, but missed her target as Weiss only felt her eyes welled up.

“I’m becoming a monster, Blake,” she whispered, her voice wavering as she looked down at her Grimm hand. “I just want to go home. I want to sleep. I want to dream. I want to hold Angel again. I miss my dog,” she added with a shuddering sigh.

“I know, starlight,” Blake murmured. “We’ll get you out of there. I promise.”

Letting out a wry huff, she simply nodded as she sniffled, half-heartedly believing Blake’s gentle reassurance, and they stayed in silence for a long moment as she let her eyes shut again, enjoying the faunus’ soft caress. The simple gesture felt more reassuring than whatever Blake could say, right now.

Until Blake pulled away.

Snapping her eyes open, she felt anxiety spike as she feared she would be left alone again, but Blake was already nudging her shoulder, a soft smile on her lips.

“Move over,” the faunus only said.

She obeyed instantly.

As soon as Blake was lying beside her, she snuggled closer, greedily stealing the faunus’ warmth as Blake wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her air, and just as she tucked her head under the faunus’ chin, loud, resounding knocks were heard, making her jump slightly in Blake’s arms.

Instantly, the faunus’ ears flattened against her head as Blake glared over her shoulder towards the mirror.

“What’s going on?” She asked, her, too, looking over Blake’s shoulder.

“Glynda thinks Salem’s corruption is contagious,” the faunus grumbled as she tightened her embrace. “But I think, if it really were, the _three_ of us would be infected, and not just you.”

The knocks came again, insistent, with enough force to make the mirror shake, but Blake stubbornly stayed in place, and she could almost hear how the faunus gritted her teeth.

“You know,” Blake grumbled quietly, only for the two of them. “Maybe it’s time I let Yang threaten Ozpin all she wants. Then maybe, it will pull the stick he shoved up his ass, and could _actually_ do something to help you instead of just observing you like you’re a lab rat. I don’t think Glynda ever moved from her spot, in front of the window.”

“She’s been watching all this time?”

Blake nodded, nuzzling her hair gently as she continued. “They seem more interested on the effects on a subject than the actual recovery. Yang… she’s beside herself with worry. She even thinks he never really cared about us. She thinks that’s why he was so willing to put the fate of the world on a single person’s shoulders.”

She remembered how Ruby reacted whenever Ozpin was insisting on her importance in the war, and how many times she had thought he was putting too much pressure on her partner. If the headmaster really was as drawn from their reality as he was, it only made sense.

She just thought Glynda was better than that.

“We just want our Weiss back,” Blake was continuing, murmuring in her hair. “It’s hard to see you like this, and trying to have something from Ozpin is a fight each time. Yang is hounding him since this morning, because he’s nowhere to be found, and honestly I hope she catch him. Oscar is as worried as us, but even he can’t do anything to accelerate the process.”

“I hope you realise that nothing you’re saying is reassuring,” she muttered bitterly in the crook of Blake’s neck, dread making her heart sink in her chest.

“I know,” the faunus sighed warily. “But hiding things from you is the last thing I want to do. Just… have some more faith in us, starlight. We’re not done fighting for you.”

She hoped that Blake knew this was exactly what she needed to hear right now, as she wordlessly nodded, hidden away in Blake’s neck, and all the doubts Salem had started to instill in her melted away for a moment, traded by a pleasant warmth that chased the cold from her limbs.

“Starlight,” she repeated, earning a soft kiss on top of her head. “I never told you I liked it.”

“I’m glad you do,” the faunus breathed, genuinely happy as the softest purr started rumbling from her chest.

Snuggling closer to Blake’s warmth, the faunus’ presence was enough to calm her nerves and the purr resonating from Blake’s chest was lulling, and secured in Blake’s embrace, she finally gave in as she closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion catch up to her as sleep washed over her.

 

****

 

When she opened her eyes, she knew she wasn’t quite awake, but she wasn’t dreaming either as she could see the same stark white walls around her, hear the same quiet buzzing of the neon lights above her head. And instead of a moment earlier, she was alone in her bed, and as she looked over the edge of the bed, the white box of medical supplies Blake had brought with her was nowhere to be seen.

Sitting up as she glanced around, she wondered what she was doing here, if it was really just a dream. But as she did, she realised that her head didn’t feel dizzy as it normally would, for her last meal had been more than twenty-four hours ago, and the constant headache she had ever since she stepped foot on Beacon’s grounds was gone, too.

Looking down at her hands, she realised that her Grimm hand was gone, too, instead her hand looking normal as she let out a gasp, staring in wonder. Promptly standing up, she found her legs steady and strong enough to carry her without flinching, not even swaying a little, and she smiled, letting out a quiet chuckle.

Something moving in front of her made her look up, and she realised it was really a dream when she saw Ruby standing there, in the same old tunic she was wearing the last time she had seen her in Salem’s realm, a small smile on her lips as her hair was still hiding half of her face.

Still, to see her made her gasp, her heart jumping in her chest as she crossed the space between them to wrap her arms around her partner, hugging her tightly. Wordlessly, Ruby hugged her back as tightly as she did, sighing contentedly in her ear.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you in dreams again,” she let out, her voice muffled against her partner’s shoulder, but Ruby seemed to understand anyway.

“Salem had a meeting, and I thought I could take this chance while she was gone.”

The mention of the witch made her remember something crucial as she suddenly pulled away, keeping her partner at arm’s length as she quickly gave Ruby a once over, searching for the cuts she had seen on her partner.

“Are you okay?” She pressed, reaching for her partner’s tunic and ready to lift it to better see her injuries. “Did you heal already?”

Grabbing her wrists as she raised surprised eyebrows, Ruby blinked, a bit taken aback.

“Of course I did. The injury Salem gave me when I made you flee her realm has healed rather quickly.”

“But what about after?” She pressed, remembering vividly how Ruby’s arms and back were bloodied, and her tunic had been torn in some places. “When I defied her?”

The silver of Ruby’s only eye darkened as the hold on her wrists loosened greatly.

“Don’t believe everything she shows you,” her partner softly let out, smiling a small, sad smile. “She lies as she breathes.”

“Oh…”

Suddenly realising that it had all been a trick, she gently freed her hands before returning to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. As Ruby stayed in the middle of the room, she simply patted the spot next to her and, after a visible second of hesitation, her partner finally relented, sitting beside her and carefully keeping a couple of inches between them.

Apparently, when she wasn’t in danger, Ruby didn’t have much to say as her partner was obviously nervous, toying with her fingers and scratching the skin around her nails.

Some things never change, she thought a bit bitterly.

Hating the silence that only kept lengthening between them, Weiss turned a bit to her partner, glancing at her.

“How are you here, exactly?” She curiously asked. “I thought that, since Salem kept repeating we were linked, she didn’t need Seers anymore…”

“She doesn’t need one in Remnant, following you, anymore,” Ruby rectified, keeping her attention on her hands. “She still needs a Seer to be able to… slip in your mind.”

“Oh. Well that is… interesting.”

“Yeah, those things are weird,” her partner agreed in a slight chuckle. “I hate the sound they make when they move around. Gives me the creeps every time.”

“But… that doesn’t explain _how_ you’re here. I thought I was linked with Salem, not the Seer.”

There was a pause then, and Ruby shifted nervously beside her, and this time when she looked at her, her partner looked genuinely guilty.

“I… _may_ have lied to you, last time,” Ruby started hesitantly, shrinking when she narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I’m _so glad_ you still do this,” she let out, sarcasm in every word as she returned her stare in front of her, crossing her arms in irritation. “Even in another dimension, or wherever you are, you lie to me. Amazing.”

“It’s not a big lie!” Ruby instantly exclaimed, trying to help her case. “Well… I just… altered a few things, but the results are still the same.”

Glaring at her partner in response, Ruby’s frame seemed to deflate as she nodded her head, grimacing.

“Yeah, I deserve that,” she sighed. “Anyway,” her partner cleared her throat, trying to get a bit of composure back. “I, um… I don’t know how to say this… Salem… gives me her blood.”

Feeling her eyes widening in horror, Ruby instantly raised her hands, wanting to touch her but not knowing if she was allowed to as her partner started talking, fast.

“That’s why I’m here right now! Since we share the same blood, the link she has with you kinda works with me, but it’s less strong than hers, and, well, it also means that I can’t leave if she doesn’t want me to, and that’s also the reason I can’t die because she can’t too and as long as we share the same blood, she-”

“Stop.”

Her mouth clacking shut at the single word, Ruby stared at her anxiously, nervously waiting for the next word she would say as she blinked, her mind staying stubbornly on something crucial that Ruby had let out without thinking.

“Rewind. What did you say?”

“… That I can’t leave if she doesn’t want me to?” Ruby tried, unsure.

“After that.”

“As long as we share the same blood, we’re linked and she knows wherever I am?”

“You didn’t even say that!”

“I was about to!”

Sighing as she brought a hand up to rub tiredly at her eyes, she tried again.

“You said that she couldn’t die?”

Instantly, Ruby’s entire frame went rigid, her single eye widening in panic.

“Oooh I wasn’t allowed to say that,” her partner whispered, horror in every word. “She’s going to be so _mad-_ ”

“If she can’t die,” she softly interrupted, lowering her eyes to the ground. “Then… what are we going to do? Was the war pointless, then? Even a silver-eyed warrior can’t defeat her?”

Beside her, Ruby’s tension bled from her frame as a silence settled over them, both of them contemplating the floor under their feet, her partner returning her hands on her sides to grip the edge of the mattress tightly.

“We were never meant to defeat her,” her partner quietly murmured, and it earned her gaze back. “Our power, the silver eyes, it’s… It’s not to kill. It’s to… nullify darkness, and freeze it. Like I did with the dragon Grimm, on top of Beacon’s tower. It’s also why Cinder was able to get out. She’s not _all_ darkness.”

Ruby was toying with her feet, nervously rubbing them together as she kept her stare down, her expression emotionless. As she looked at her, she could see, poking from under the tunic on her shoulder, the tip of a scar there that was following the curve of her shoulder in a crude line.

The sight of it, along with the way Ruby kept the left side of her face covered with her hair, only twisted her guts painfully and, reaching out, sat her hand over her partner’s, squeezing it gently and visibly taking Ruby by surprise.

“We will bring you back, Ruby,” she softly breathed, squeezing again as she offered a small smile. “Just hang on a little longer.”

Staring at her with her eye widening again, her partner’s hand turned under hers to clamp down on it, shaking slightly.

“No!” Ruby almost shouted, and it made her blink with a slight wince. “I told you, don’t come for me! It’s not safe!”

“But _you_ are the one in danger!” Weiss instantly argued, bristling.

“You don’t understand!” Her partner insisted, white-hot panic in her eye as she clutched her hand tightly. “You can’t come in her realm! She’s only going to capture you, and she’ll hurt you and she’ll-”

“Hey,” Weiss interrupted her panicked rumbling, lightly tugging on her hand to bring her stare back on her. “Have you no faith in us?”

“It’s not-” Ruby started, her voice escalating, but she quickly interrupted herself as she slipped her hand from under Weiss’ to stand. “It’s not about faith,” her partner started again, this time much more quietly. “It’s about keeping you safe. Keeping everyone safe,” she added.

“Ruby, you can’t possibly think we will leave you there!” She still argued, growing irritated that her partner didn’t look like she wanted to be saved.

“You have to!”

“Why would we do that?!”

“Because there’s a draw back with Salem sharing her blood with me! She can’t leave her realm, because if she does, her portals will be open for me, too! And once back on Remnant, the bond we share will be broken! The only thing I can do to save everyone is to keep her in her realm, so let me do this!”

“But why would she ever give you her blood if it does?” She asked after a beat of silence, a bit confused.

A silence settled over them as Ruby sighed, her shoulders drooping, and for a second her partner looked weary. _Exhausted._ Still, her partner took a sharp breath in, closing her hands into tight fists on her sides, then released the breath in a long, steady exhale.

“Because I’m the only one who can stop her,” Ruby said quietly, her voice monotone as if it was something she didn’t quite believed anymore. “In her realm, I can’t. There’s something there that… negates Semblances and Auras, and with her blood, I can’t leave and become a threat again.”

Taking a couple of paces away from the bed, Ruby pointed at Weiss thoughtfully, before glancing over her shoulder, their eyes meeting shortly.

“Do you remember when you fell in the lake, near the pool of slime?”

“Of course I do,” she instantly recalled, wondering how it was relevant.

Humming with a nod, Ruby turned on her heels to face her again, her expression steeled.

“Salem’s blood has sensibly the same effect on me,” her partner continued. “It weakens my body, and… Well, some days are better than others. But it’s also to ensure I’m not going to rebel against Salem. The way you see me now,” she said, gesturing to herself with a tired expression. “Is not the same as I am back there. Just the way you are not quite the same as when you’re awake.”

Crossing the distance, Ruby delicately took her right hand, pointedly looking at it. As her partner rubbed a thumb over her knuckles, she stared at their hands, now knowing why her Grimm arm wasn’t apparent.

“This is just a dream,” Ruby continued softly, her single eye focused on her hand as her features softened. “Our subconscious mind is seeing us differently from what we look like, or what we feel like. Sometimes it’s small changes, other times… Like when I’m here, I can get up and walk on bad days.”

The small, bitter chuckle Ruby let out felt like an arrow striking her chest, and, still holding her hand, she stood to press her forehead against Ruby’s, her partner instantly relaxing as she did. Lightly bumping their noses together, Ruby closed her eye, pressing just a bit closer as she laced their fingers together.

“I miss you,” Weiss breathed out without meaning to. “I miss you so much, Ruby.”

There was a beat of silence as her partner furrowed her dark brows ever so slightly, her hand tightening its hold on hers.

“I miss you too, Weiss, if you only knew,” Ruby finally murmured before swallowing thickly. “But even if I could come back, you know things won’t be the same.”

Choosing to stay silent, she simply took in a sharp breath as she pinched her lips in an unhappy line, before moving to nuzzled Ruby’s cheek, eventually tucking her nose under her partner’s jaw as she pressed against Ruby. Upon hearing her partner’s soft breath, feeling Ruby’s free arm loosely wrap around her, she suddenly realised something and she promptly pulled away, searching Ruby’s stare.

“You don’t mind me being in your space,” she quietly wondered, hope swelling in her chest.

When Ruby’s eye tellingly looked away, guilty, she frowned, wondering what she had said wrong.

“Like I said earlier, don’t believe everything she shows you,” her partner let out, still looking away. “Salem used my failures against me, making me see… all this blood, and…” Letting out a shuddering breath, Ruby closed her eye for a second, before resuming, this time with a bit more force in her voice. “She made me see myself like the monster I thought I was. And she’s doing the same to you.”

This time when she turned her head to look back at her, Ruby’s eye was the color of steel, hard and shiny, but the hand in hers was squeezing gently and the other was lightly resting on her waist.

“I know Salem whispers to you,” Ruby continued, and the hope and wonder she had previously felt crumbled into a painful twist in her stomach, and this time it was her turn to look away, trying to put some distance between them. But her partner didn’t let go, instead leaned closer so she could whisper directly in her ear. “Don’t listen to what she says. I can assure you, you are _not_ what she tries to make you believe you are. Undermining and making her targets doubt their worth is making her job easier. And, you don’t have slime in your blood, Weiss. You have to see through her illusions.”

The last comment made her bristle, and she waved her right hand in front of her, catching Ruby’s attention on it.

“Is my arm suddenly turning in a Grimm’s an illusion, too?” She almost snarled, pulling away as she cradled her arm against her chest.

“No,” Ruby assured, but she wisely stayed in her spot, her arms returning by her sides. “Unfortunately, it’s not. But once Salem’s corruption is gone, your arm will return to normal. I mean, it still amaze me that Salem’s corruption isn’t more advanced than that. Since you’re kin, I thought it would be easier-”

“Since I’m _what_?”

Sharply turning around, panic rising inside of her, she saw the same panicked realisation grow in Ruby’s eye as her partner brought both her hands to her head to hold it.

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry I thought you knew! I thought Ozpin told you!”

“What do you mean I’m- I’m kin?”

Her head swimming as her vision started to darken, she knew she was about to pass out but Ruby all but jumped to her, venting her face with her hand as she wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady.

“It’s not a bad thing!” Ruby instantly assured, trying to find something to reassure her. “It’s actually normal!”

“What do you mean, it’s _normal_?” She almost whined, accepting Ruby’s help as she made her way back to the bed, both of them sitting on the edge of it. “I don’t think it’s _normal_ to be kin with the witch who’s trying to end to world!”

“But it’s not just you, if it can help,” her partner tried, offering a small, uneasy smile. “It’s… actually it’s all the Schnee bloodline. Salem explained it to me once, but I was halfway unconscious, so I don’t think I heard all the explanation but it’s something about… the balance of the world? But you… didn’t you think it strange to know you could take her Grimm? And that she could take them back? I thought it only made sense.”

“You know,” she let out in a breathless laugh. “That _absolutely_ didn’t help.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I keep shoving my foot in my mouth, look, just…” Releasing a small sigh, Ruby started rubbing her back in soothing circles. “Ask Ozpin. ‘kay? He can explain it with all the littlest details. I promise, it’s not a bad thing, you being kin. It’s going to be alright, Weiss.”

“How do you know?” She snapped, but didn’t pull away from Ruby’s soft touch. “How do you know that I’m not going to… get corrupted? That I’m going to, one day, get out of… wherever I am? That I’m going to even _survive_ , because so far I’ve been nothing but a lab rat in here!”

“I know it’s going to be alright,” Ruby started after a beat of silence. “Because Salem was _so_ upset when she learned you were going to Ozpin. I think she destroyed three halls of the Hive out of anger. And I heard her say that she wouldn’t have time to finish what she’d started with you. So that’s why she’s been with you constantly; trying to get as much as she could from you before your link with her is broken.”

“Although I can understand why you doubt it,” Ruby added after another short silence, a thoughtful scrunch to her face. “She’s been putting you through months’ worth of process in barely a few days.”

Feeling her shoulders droop, she let out a helpless sigh that made Ruby grimace, turning a bit more to her as she tucked a leg under her.

“I know, not being reassuring again, sorry,” her partner apologised with a tentative smile.

Humming quietly as she glanced at her shortly, she wondered what she would do, in Ruby’s place. If she was the one trapped away with Salem, if she was the only one who could stop this fight. But there were too many variable to make a sound result as she looked up at Ruby again, this time letting her gaze stay longer as her partner smiled a bit again.

“Are you… Are you all alone with Salem?” She asked, not managing to keep her curiosity back. “You said that sometimes there was Emerald and Mercury, but…”

“But they are kept away from me,” Ruby finished, seemingly not minding her question. “Salem doesn’t trust them with me. Although, there’s that guy that spends most of his time in the Hive, venerating Salem and calling her ‘his queen’ and all. Tyrion, is his name. I already met him when I was traveling with JNR, after Beacon fell. Still scares the crap out of me. Sometimes there’s Hazel, but he’s like… Not kind, but not unkind either. He just… mostly ignores me because he was told to. Watts treats me like I’m a new version of the plague.”

Finishing with a simple shrug, Ruby let a silence fall on them before clearing her throat, looking down with her eyebrows drawn together.

“Most of the time I’m with Salem, and… When I do what she asks and she’s not in a horrible mood, it’s… it’s not so bad. I mean, she definitely likes the sound of her own voice,” her partner added, rolling her eye. “But she likes to tell me stories, or things in general. And she seems genuinely pleased when I’m interested.”

“Ruby-”

“I’m not getting friendly with her,” Ruby pointedly interrupted. “But if I can have a few days of the week free of abuse, I’ll take it. Besides, I learned tons of things. Did you know Salem used to be human? That’s where she met Ozpin, during his first life. They used to be lovers! And it’s the Gods that shattered the moon!”

As Ruby opened her mouth again, her expression froze then, and she looked over her shoulder, putting some distance between them as she did.

“I have to go,” her partner scrambled to her feet, nervously glancing around her. “She’s on her way back to the throne room.”

“So this is goodbye?” Weiss quietly said as she stood, her heart sinking in her chest when she saw Ruby’s eye lower to the ground.

Slowly nodding, her partner sighed, visibly hesitant about something as she kept wringing her hands together, before making up her mind and reached over at her, grasping her arms to give them a soft, encouraging squeeze as she locked eyes with her.

“I know you’re plenty strong, but… Stay strong, Weiss,” Ruby started, a wistful expression modeling her features. “I wish I could be there with you. With all of you,” she added with a small smile. “I miss you guys so much, but… If I can keep her away from you, then that’s what I’ll do. Besides, there’s not much else I _can_ do,” she added with a bitter chuckle. “But you have to be wary, because you might see another war in your lifetime, Weiss.”

“ _My_ lifetime?”

“You know time goes by faster here,” her partner reminded her with a sad smile. “One day, I will die of age. Even if we share blood and I can’t die from wounds, I still age. So… I hope it will give you the time to prepare. To be better prepared,” she insisted, her hands climbing up her arms to rest on her shoulders. “And… I hope you will help the next silver-eyed warrior like you helped me. Salem needs to be stopped.”

Stopping to take a shaky breath in, Weiss took advantage of the silence to press closer, pressing her face against Ruby’s shoulder and feeling her partner do the same, holding her tightly against her.

“We’ll find a way, Ruby. We’ll find a way to bring you back and to end this.”

A single long sigh answered her, Ruby apparently not bothering with a response, and it only made her tighten her embrace on her partner, clutching at her back before pulling away slightly and, after hesitantly climbing to stand on her toes, tentatively brushed their lips together.

The reaction was instant. Ruby closed her eye with a strained breath, her hands clutching her back as she barely responded at first. It wasn’t like last time, when Salem was a second away of catching her. This time, they both could enjoy it.

Well, to some extent, she thought as she felt her partner took in a sharp breath.

But instead of pulling away like she feared, Ruby made the kiss firmer, deeper, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek as she let out a soft moan right against her lips. When they parted, she chased after her lips, and this time it was a small whine that escaped Ruby’s lips as she pulled away, her hand moving to take hers.

“I really have to go,” her partner murmured a bit huskily, keeping her eye closed for a second more before clearing her throat. “I’m going to get in trouble if I don’t leave now.”

Nodding, she obediently took a step back, her throat constricted as she felt her heart thumping in her chest painfully.

“Remember what I said, Ruby,” she nonetheless let out, earning a single silver eye on her. “It’s a promise.”

The area around her seemed to brighten then, the white of the walls engulfing everything around them as Ruby’s expression wavered, but before any of them could add something, the whiteness was too much too bear as she had to close her eyes to protect them, and the soft buzzing of the neon lights steadily grew in her ears, the sound soon overwhelming.

 

****

 

Snapping her eyes open with a gasp, she sat up promptly, groaning when the sudden movement made her head spin slightly as the headache she consistently had encircled her head again, and she brought a hand to her face.

She stopped her movement at the last second, just about to scratch her face with her Grimm hand.

Beside her, the warm presence jolted up, Blake jerking away and already crouched beside the bed, slowly turning on herself and making sure there were no threats as she was still blinking the sleep from her eyes.

It made her wonder how long Blake had went without sleep. Usually, the faunus wasn’t in a deep enough sleep for her training to kick in as soon as one of them moved.

“Blake,” she called, clearing her throat when her voice came out a bit hoarse. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Her attention turning instantly on Weiss, Blake’s ears twitched at her name as she turned towards her, her golden eyes glancing up and down her form and making sure she was really, truly alright.

“Bad dream?” The faunus inquired, her expression softening when she realised that Weiss was fine, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Not quite,” she merely replied, sighing when her headache only seemed to grow in intensity as she rubbed her temple with the heel of her hand. “When was the last time you slept? You usually are not as fidgety as this.”

Furrowing her dark brows in thoughts, Blake’s eyes lowered her eyes for a moment, letting out a soft hum.

“I think I took a nap a couple of hours earlier, but I didn’t really slept even since we brought you here,” the faunus finally answered. “Yang, too. That’s partially the reason she’s so cranky. But that was a nice nap. I think I’ll tell Yang to come nap with you.”

Huffing as Blake stretched with a quiet, satisfied grunt, she reached a hand over to brush the back of her fingers on the faunus’ arm, gaining her attention instantly.

“Can I ask a favor?”

“Of course!” Blake instantly replied, grabbing her hand to give it a squeeze. “Whatever it is.”

“Can you go with Yang and find Ozpin?”

When dark eyebrows only arched up high on the faunus’ forehead, she offered a smile, one that Blake returned immediately.

“I dreamed of Ruby again,” she softly informed, and Blake’s whole body perked up, her ears standing tall and attentive. “And she told me… interesting things. Find Ozpin. I need answers that I’m sure you and Yang will be interested in. And,” she added when she saw a dark spot appear in the corner of her eye, and in one smooth motion she leaned over, grabbed a small cardboard box amidst the medical supplies before throwing it towards the shadow in the corner. “I need her out of my head.”

Blake turned to the corner as she heard the box hit the wall before clattering on the floor, and she looked over, seeing Salem’s form move in a cloud as the hole the box made closed, and the witch looked as displeased as she had never seen her, her blood-red eyes glowing menacingly as Salem narrowed her eyes.

Glaring all the same back at Salem, she heard Blake clear her throat quietly as the faunus stood, leaning over to press a kiss on top of her head.

“I’ll try to be quick, then,” Blake merely murmured, before turning away and walking out the door.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The last chapter of this story! I hope you enjoy it!

It had taken three hours for Blake and Yang to come back, along with Ozpin and Glynda, the older Huntress carrying a large, metallic cylinder on small wheels, the thin slit of glass on the side showing some kind of liquid that was glowing blue. Before she could ask something about it, the headmaster rested his hands on his cane, seemingly unbothered about the two younger Huntresses that glared at him.

“Miss Schnee,” Ozpin started, his voice holding the same monotone as usual. “I heard you had questions for me?”

“Indeed, I do,” Weiss promptly stood, ignoring Salem stepping closer to Ozpin with her features contorted in anger. “Ruby reached out to me again.”

“Did she now?” Was the unsurprised answer, and it made Yang narrow her eyes as she turned to the headmaster, her lips twisting.

“You knew she was alive,” the blonde realised, the lilac in her eyes flickering.

“That was one of my questions, too,” she added, glaring a bit.

“Letting people down is one of his numerous ‘talents’,” Salem added in a hiss, visible only for her as the witch let a nail hover over Oscar’s face, following the line of his jaw.

Oblivious to Salem, the headmaster took a second before answering, pinching his lips shortly.

“I did know Miss Rose was alive,” Ozpin finally admitted with a slight dip of his head, and she noticed when Blake firmly grabbed Yang’s arm as the blonde took a step towards him. “I was only trying to prevent you from hoping she would come back. That was why I changed her status, in the report.”

“But surely there’s a way to bring her back!”

“It would be suicide to even go near Salem’s realm, Miss Schnee,” Ozpin countered firmly, meeting her eyes and tilting his head slightly.

As she gritted her teeth in anger, noticing the tightening grip of Blake on Yang’s arm, Salem came back to her with a smirk, swiftly making her way behind her and letting an ice-cold hand trail on her shoulders as the witch leaned over to murmur in her ear.

“I told you he was good at letting people down. The rat is _mine_ to play with. You better remember this, thief,” Salem added, her lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

Jerking away from the witch’s touch with a wave of her Grimm hand towards Salem’s form, she felt the stare of everyone on her as Salem only chuckled, disappearing in a cloud under her claws before reappearing right beside Blake, the faunus unsuspecting as the witch let a nail trail down from Blake’s shoulder and down her arm thoughtfully.

“Ruby told me Salem couldn’t die,” she let out, glaring at the witch as Salem only smirked back, raising her chin triumphantly, seemingly not minding that this piece of information was known, after all.

Different reactions came from everyone, including Glynda. Ozpin’s face darkened, his features hardening instantly as Glynda’s eyebrows climbed high on her forehead, glancing shortly at the headmaster, while Blake looked like she had been punched in the gut. Yang was fuming, her eyes turned red as she visibly tried to hold herself back from punching the headmaster into oblivion.

Before any of them could speak however, Salem was back behind her, her presence so close sending a cold shiver down her spine as, this time, she felt the drag of her nails down her neck.

“How does it feel to know there is nothing you can do to defeat me?” The witch merely whispered in her ear again. “Without the warrior, humanity is helpless. Against me, every weapon you have is harmless. You are simply destined to fail, like so many previously have.”

“It is beyond me to think Salem would share this kind of information with Miss Rose,” was the only thing Ozpin said, his hands visibly tightening on his cane.

“Well I have nothing to hide,” the witch hissed as she glared at the headmaster. “Unlike _some_ people who likes to hide behind half-truths and lies of omissions.”

“Nevertheless,” Ozpin continued, ruling his features into his usual expressionless. “I did always say that Miss Rose was the key against Salem.”

“She was just one person!” Yang roared, her hair glowing and starting fuming, and upon seeing this Glynda let go of the handle of the heavy cylinder to grab her riding crop, discreetly keeping it at her side. “You should have told us this,” the blonde gestured towards Weiss, making Salem hum contentedly and meaning the whole corruption part. “Could happen! You should have told us about Salem!”

Ignoring the threat it seemed, the headmaster only stepped closer to Weiss, his features hardening.

“I have the cure you need,” Ozpin tightly let out, barely gesturing to his side and shaking Glynda into motion, tearing her eyes from Yang to pull the cylinder closer to the headmaster. “This won’t be pleasant for you,” Ozpin continued, locking eyes with her. “It will be dangerous for you, judging by how deeply your connection with Salem is. You could die during the treatment.”

“What?!” Both Blake and Yang exclaimed in synch, the faunus’ ears flattening against her scalp.

Holding Ozpin’s stare as her heart thumped painfully in her chest, she felt her resolve falter again, hearing Salem’s mocking chuckle right in her ear as she felt the witch lean over her shoulder again, whispering her poison right in her ear.

“Oh you won’t survive this, thief,” Salem’s breath tickled the shell of her ear, her cold lips brushing against it, too. “I have seen many who tried and failed to get out of my clutch through the centuries. Only a handful survived, but they were changed forever.”

Shaking her head and doing her best to ignore the witch, she raised a hand to calm her teammates, waiting for Blake and Yang to somewhat relax until they weren’t a hair away from pouncing on the headmaster, before returning her attention on Ozpin, one last question on her mind.

“Ruby also said that I was kin to Salem. What does it mean?”

Holding his stare a moment longer as Salem only left her side with a laugh, she waited for an answer as she noticed how her teammates were staring in utmost surprise. But not without surprised, Ozpin clicked his tongue quietly, furrowing his brows a bit as he shifted his weight from leg.

“I… see that Miss Rose is well informed,” he commented, before clearing his throat, straightening his posture. “You might want to sit down.”

Narrowing her eyes as the headmaster gestured to the bed, letting out a weary sigh as he did, she finally relented as Blake and Yang did too, flanking her as they sat close to her on each side. But when they were attentive, Ozpin let out a long breath, considering each of them for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Long ago, the Gods formed a world where they could let their creation roam and live as they would see fit. They-”

“How is it even relevant with Weiss?” Yang rudely interrupted, impatient.

Salem, who had been standing in a corner and was watching over Ozpin, turned her blood-red stare on Yang in an angry glare, but the headmaster merely raised a peaceful hand.

“I have to start at the beginning,” Ozpin let out, returning his hand on his cane. “And the beginning of this story is the beginning of the world as we know it, Miss Xiao Long.”

Letting out a tight, irritated exhale, she waved a hand for him to continue then, and Weiss moved to bump her shoulder with the blonde’s, offering a bit of comfort as she did. Still, the headmaster returned to his story.

“They created a world in their image,” Ozpin said, sounding proud as Salem merely scoffed in her corner, crossing her arms over her chest. “The brother Gods. One of light, one of darkness. Together, they lived in harmony as long as they kept to their boundaries. It was the same for the world they created. Light and darkness, living together in harmony. The balance of the world.”

Giving a short pause, Ozpin’s eyes lowered for a second before he continued.

“But harmony was easy to maintain when the Gods were still here, on Remnant. When they left, they asked of us one thing; to keep the balance. Too much darkness and they will need to wipe the world anew. Too much light, and they will need to do the same. The scales must be equals. For this reason, every being of light has a duplicate of darkness, and vice versa.”

“And so, when Salem’s darkness started to tip the scale, a duplicate of light was created,” he let out, dipping his head as he stared at Weiss. “The Schnee family was born, with abilities similar to Salem’s. Although, they couldn’t use magic like Salem does, it is the reason why the ‘Schnee Semblance’ is the only one that is passed from generation to generation, unlike any other Semblances who simply reflects one’s inner strength, because of Salem’s immortality.”

“But if she has abilities similar to Salem’s,” Blake let out after a beat of silence, furrowing her brows as she did. “Then why is she powerless against her? No offense,” the faunus quickly added, turning to Weiss but she simply shrugged, not bothered by that at all.

“Because unlike the Schnee bloodline, Salem has her magic,” Ozpin answered diligently. “Magic that she had centuries to hone. And unfortunately,” the headmaster’s attention went back to her, his expression closing again. “You being kin make the corruption all the more easy for Salem. And… I recommend not using your summons until you finish the treatment. By the look of your arm from only going up the tower, I don’t want to know what is happening inside.”

As her eyes widened in frozen panic as she suddenly realised something, Yang sat a warm hand on her thigh, leaning a bit more into her protectively.

“Yeah about what happened in the elevator, what happened? I know there’s a repellent spell, but-”

“The spell is stronger as you climb the tower,” the headmaster interrupted. “It is strongest in my office, added with the barrier all around it.”

“I just realised,” she softly let out as she brought her left hand to her chest, clutching her shirt as she still caught everyone’s attention. “My Grimm have been awfully silent ever since… Ever since I saw Salem in the mirror, in my dream. Are they…” Hesitantly looking up, she swallowed as she met Ozpin’s eyes, and the seriousness she could see in them, mixed with a bit of sympathy, somehow started a wave of panic even before she had her answer. “Are they turning… inside me..?”

As Ozpin stayed silent for a moment more, she heard the increasingly louder chuckle of Salem, still in her corner, was more of an answer than Ozpin would ever give.

“Oh they are, thief,” the witch assured, her voice coated in honey as she slowly made her way closer, her eyes glowing red as she brought her hands in front of her to clasp them together. “I told you I would take them back. And soon, they will be all mine again and when they are,” Salem let out a delighted sigh with a soft shake of her head, as if she was recalling a fond memory. “They will come out of you. They will burst out of you, rip you apart until you are nothing more than ashes and bones, to come back to me.”

She knew Salem could be fast, but the witch moved faster than a blink to grab her neck in a vice grip, leaning over to bring her face mere inches from hers and leveling their eyes, feeling Salem’s nail biting into her flesh as she wasn’t able to breathe.

She had been afraid in her life, many times. But as the witch’s face contorted in cold, deadly fury, she was sure her heart would give out as her peripheral vision was suddenly darkened by a black cloud, the warm presence of her teammates on each side of her leaving and rending her alone and cold.

“Because they are _mine_!” Salem roared in an inhuman voice, the witch’s presence feeling that much bigger than mere seconds ago. “And _no one_ take what’s mine! Not you, not Ozpin, not even the Gods, because _I_ take what I want!”

Letting go of her neck, she realised she was falling as the witch grew in size, and as she did, her limbs jerked this way and that, the dry sound of bones cracking accompanying every move and jolt, until Salem was so big in the space in front of her that she eclipsed everything. Her jaw dislocating, she let out a screech that pierced her ears as dark slime was projected towards her, the slime shiny even in the darkness around them and seemingly having a life of its own as it snaked its way to her, wrapping around her in a cold, deadly embrace, submerging and overwhelming, until there wasn’t anything left of her.

 

****

 

They all had been in thoughtful silence when Weiss fell forward, and if it wasn’t for Yang’s attentiveness and quick reflex to catch her, the smaller woman would have landed right on her face.

“Woah there, what’s going-” The blonde started, and when her expression changed for a deeply concerned one, she immediately stepped closer. “Weiss?”

As Yang stood, keeping the smaller woman in her arms, she met her wife’s stare as the blonde’s lilac were growing wider, panic starting in her eyes.

“Blake?” Yang managed to let out in a strangled voice.

Immediately looking over Weiss, the smaller woman still had her eyes open but they held no life as they stared glassily at the ceiling, and worry settled for good as she brought a hand up Weiss’ nose, not feeling the faintest tell of a breath. Never minding how Yang let out a strangled noise, she pressed her ear against the smaller woman’s chest, even closing her eyes to hear better.

But even with her superior hearing, she couldn’t hear a single beating.

Her eyes welling up as she pulled away, confusion and denial making her blink before she pressed her ear against Weiss’ chest again, she was about to ask for help when she felt someone firmly grip her arm to shove her aside, Ozpin already pushing his cane in her hands.

“Put her on the bed,” he ordered, and Yang promptly obeyed.

As Ozpin kneeled beside the bed, closing his eyes as he placed a hand against Weiss’ temple and the other against her sternum, she couldn’t do much but stare as she felt her wife press against her as Yang was already letting loud sobs out. Soft green light emanated from the headmaster’s hands then, and when she numbly glanced over, even Glynda looked like she was at a loss.

“It seems Salem was a bit impatient,” Ozpin mumbled under his breath, and she heard the short, sharp exhale he let out then. “She can be a bit… temperamental.”

All in all, it was a question of seconds, maybe minutes. But it felt like an eternity later, Weiss jolted on the bed, letting out a wheezing breath as Ozpin collapsed as soon as she did.

Glynda instantly went to him as both she and Yang bolted to the bed, relief making their eyes leak the tears they were holding while, still frozen in fear, Weiss was only shaking, taking short, labored breaths as her eyes were wide open and staring right in front of her.

As Yang was already murmuring soft comforting words, smiling through her tears as she brushed back the bangs that fell in Weiss’ eyes, she looked back at Ozpin, sniffling as she could see Glynda helping the headmaster sit.

But when she met his eyes, they were absent of the amber glint telling that Ozpin was in control.

“He gave a lot of his life force trying to make her heart start beating again,” Oscar panted, bringing a hand to his head with a quiet groan. “I think… I think her heart stopped out of sheer terror.”

At that moment, she heard the tight, strangled and high pitched whine Weiss let out, and as she returned her attention on the smaller woman, her frozen expression crumbled as soft sobs shook her already trembling shoulders and wetted her pale eyes, until they were traded by full-blown, racking sobs, ripped from the smaller woman’s throat as Weiss cried without restraint, clutching Yang’s arms desperately and even making the blonde wince when one of the claws of her Grimm hand involuntarily scratched Yang’s skin.

Silently dipping her head at Oscar, thankful, it made the young man chuckle as he looked over at Weiss, his smile faltering a bit.

“I’ll be sure to tell him she’s alright,” he whispered, before giving a slight wave as he made his way out, and Glynda seemed torn between staying with them and accompanying Oscar.

After giving the older Huntress a resolute nod, Glynda took back the cane and went after Oscar, closing the door behind her as silently as she could.

 

****

 

It took an hour for Weiss to stop crying, and many more for her to stop shaking as the smaller woman had curled into a ball between them, as they were sandwiched together on the far-too-small bed. But every time one of them seemed to pull away, the smaller woman would whine and start shaking again, and it took both a lot of soft reassurance and firm authority to let Glynda auscultate and examine the smaller woman, to make sure Weiss was truly alright.

Whatever happened during their conversation with Ozpin had traumatized Weiss so much that she still hadn’t said a single word.

It wasn’t until the next day, as soon as Oscar stepped inside the room, that Weiss finally said something.

“I want it,” the smaller woman let out in a rasp, her reddened and puffy eyes staring hardly at the headmaster as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I want the cure, the treatment, whatever.”

Stopping in his tracks, Oscar blinked, but when his eyes drifted slightly to the side they knew he was listening to what Ozpin was saying.

“Are you sure?” He finally asked. “This can be very dangerous in your state-”

“I don’t care,” Weiss snapped, effectively interrupting him. “It’s either I die trying or I die from her,” she said, pointing a trembling finger at a corner in the room. “I’m not known for being a quitter.”

There was a long silence as she glanced at Yang, both of them wearing the same worried expression, but there wasn’t much else to do as the amber glint appeared shortly in Oscar’s eyes, and the headmaster slightly dipped his head.

“Very well. I will let Glynda explain the procedure to you.”

As Oscar closed his eyes with a short sigh, bringing a hand to his head as Glynda stepped in front of him almost protectively, her back held in a ramrod line as the older woman gestured for the metallic cylinder, stashed in a corner of the room.

“It is quite simple,” Glynda said, returning her hands behind her back. “Make her drink this and purge everything that comes out.”

They waited expectantly for more as they heard the metal door closing when Oscar left… until they realised that the older Huntress wasn’t about to add anything else, and she could feel the increasing heat coming from her wife.

“That’s it?” Yang snapped. “ _That’s_ your cure? That’s bullshit,” she added with a scoff.

Glynda merely served her with a glare that froze the blonde on her seat, and she would have laughed if her heart didn’t feel so heavy.

“It’s not because it appears simple that it is,” the older woman dryly retorted. “There isn’t much we can do against the corruption. This,” Glynda continued, sitting two fingers on the cylinder. “Is basically a liquid repelling spell.”

Upon noticing Weiss grimacing, the older Huntress dipped her head.

“Exactly. When ingested, it will solidify the corruption in your stomach and expulse it. To purge it, there are metal buckets under the bed, and a furnace next door. We will give you gloves; be careful not to touch whatever comes out. Even with gloves on, it’s not safe.”

There was barely a pause when, her features as hard as steel, Weiss was already extending her hand towards Glynda, waiting expectantly, and with a quiet hum, the older woman pressed a panel on the top of the cylinder as it whirred quietly. Meanwhile, she was looking under the bed and retrieving said buckets, three to be precise, and in the bottom of one, there was a big box of gloves.

Producing a small plastic glass from seemingly nowhere, Glynda filled it with the eerie, glowing blue liquid that gave a soft hue on the white walls around them. As soon as she snatched it from the older woman’s hand, Weiss raised the glass towards the corner, smiling with a tilt of her chin that screamed defiance.

“Cheers,” was the only thing she said.

Before she downed it in one go as if it was a shot, then crinkling her nose in disgust with a loud smack of her lips, looked down at the glass.

“Hm. Tastes like old socks.”

Before instantly doubling over, grabbing the nearest bucket and seemingly throwing up every ounce of her being.

With a sigh as Glynda took back the glass to return it on the cylinder, the older woman glanced at Weiss.

“It starts as soon as ingested,” the older Huntress added unhelpfully. “Then I will leave you to it. Good luck, and please, keep us updated.”

 

****

 

“Hey, you should drink a bit,” she softly let as she brushed back a stray lock behind Weiss’ ear. “You didn’t drink anything today, much less ate something.”

“I’ll just throw it up later, so it doesn’t matter,” the smaller woman muttered against her pillow, for the moment resting after a tiring session.

“It kind of does, actually,” she still countered, nudging Weiss’ shoulder with the bottle. “Drink up, buttercup.”

A loud groan answered her as Weiss pressed her face deeper in the pillow, seemingly trying to disappear in it.

“Please don’t call me that when my new pastime is throwing up all day,” the smaller woman grumbled with a scowl apparent on the bits of face she could see.

Noting that her tactic wasn’t working, she changed the bottle from hand, leaning over to press a kiss on Weiss’ shoulder before resting her chin on it, looking down on the still hiding woman.

“Come on, hun,” she murmured, allowing her voice to be serious. “You have to drink something.”

Her words were met by stubborn silence as the scowl only deepened, and so she used her secret weapon. Patience. And, also a bit of silent glaring.

Even half-hidden under the pillow, it seemed Weiss knew what she was doing, because the scowl kept deepening as time went on until, straightening her back and almost knocking their heads together, the smaller woman let out a long, irritated sigh, as if it was the most irksome demand she had ever have to do.

Snatching the bottle from her hands and unscrewing the cap in one motion, Weiss downed almost half of the bottle before giving it back, panting a bit.

“Happy?” The smaller woman snapped, glaring at her.

“Yeah!” She said earnestly, offering a smile as she reached over to squeeze Weiss’ shoulder affectionately. “I’m glad you drank something. You deserve your rest, after all.”

Her answer seemed to surprise Weiss, because she paused, blinking, before her shoulders drooped guiltily, and before she could say something the smaller woman let her forehead fall on her shoulder, pressing her face against her until she was tucked in the crook of it.

“I’m sorry,” Weiss murmured in the depths of her neck. “I’m an asshole.”

“You know, I’d be worried if you weren’t,” she joked but still held the smaller woman closely against her. “I’d be an asshole too, if it were me.”

Her comment was met by a doubtful huff, but Weiss didn’t add anything else as she curled up against her, managing to feel even smaller than she already was. For this moment of reprieve, she simply laid back on the bed, keeping Weiss close to her and, in a wink, the smaller woman had fallen asleep, taking as much rest as possible.

The first few days of the ‘treatment’ had been awful. One single shot of the glowing liquid was enough for Weiss to throw up all day with little to no rest, and she was filling the buckets faster than she would ever have imagined. Besides, just this was enough to give her nightmares. The contents of the buckets looked similar to the pool of slime they had come across during the war, and the black surface kept shivering as if it was in a constant breeze. And when she had dumped it in the furnace, her blood had run cold when it _screeched_.

Now, after three impossible days, the pace had slowed a bit, allowing Weiss to take much needed rests in between. But whenever the smaller woman started to complain, she would try her best to reassure her, to show her that it was working, as Weiss’ Grimm arm, instead of stopping a bit over her elbow, had refracted all the way back to her wrist, making the boney armor plating crack and crumble to dust as the hours passed.

Two light knocks on the metal door, managing to be resounding in the silence of the room, and yet Weiss didn’t even flinch, her entire frame limp and heavy and telling of deep, resting sleep.

Still, Blake had a deep grimace on her face as her ears were flat on her head when she pushed the door open slowly, hoping to be subtle and failing spectacularly when the door only groaned and creak as loudly as possible it seemed. Visibly hesitating between closing the door behind her and leaving it open, the faunus chose the latter as she silently padded closer, her golden eyes falling on the white head in the crook of her shoulder as a soft smile spread on her lips.

“I’m glad she’s resting,” her wife quietly murmured, setting aside the tray of food she had brought with her. “How is she doing, today?”

“Besides being cranky, I think it’s going well,” she let out with a smile, turning her head to press a kiss on top of white tresses.

Her action elicited a small sigh from the smaller woman and slight shifting, but nothing more, and Blake sat on the edge of the bed to look over Weiss’ Grimm arm, considering it with a thoughtful expression.

“I found something… of interest,” Blake still murmured, leaning over Weiss’ arm as she seemingly looked it over with interest.

She almost perked up as she arched her brows high on her forehead, and when her wife turned a bit more to her, giving her back to the mirror, she shortly wondered if someone was watching them.

Judging by how Blake was being cautious, she figured as much.

So, she imperceptibly gave a nod for Blake to continue.

“I sneaked in Ozpin’s office last night,” her wife started as quietly as before, if not a bit more, and she had to fight not to widen her eyes. “I think I found a way to… pay an old friend a visit.”

Before she could say something, Blake leaned over slight again, this time looking up to lock eyes with her, all the seriousness of the world in her golden eyes.

“I already reached out to Jaune and Sun, and we only have to give the word,” the faunus continued. “I reached Velvet too, and she told me she would come back to me after talking about it with Coco, but she’s positive-”

“Wait, wait,” she stopped Blake, lightly setting a hand on her arm to catch her attention. “Did you forget how Ozpin said it would be suicide to even be _close_ to her realm?”

Instantly, the tufted ears flattened against Blake’s dark hair, her wife’s features hardening as there was a stubborn set to her jaw.

“And Weiss was right too, when she said that there must be a reason why Ruby doesn’t want us there.”

This time, golden eyes drifted away almost guiltily, and the faunus’ shoulders drooped slightly.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Blake softly let out after a beat of silence. “I’m useless here.”

“Then continue to gather intel,” she instantly proposed, earning her wife’s attention back. “But love, let’s focus on bringing Weiss back, before trying to bring my sister back. Okay?”

After a moment of silence, the faunus finally nodded, looking miserable as her eyes fell on Weiss. As a silence fell over them, she could see Blake’s expression softening over time as she was still looking over the smaller woman, before the faunus reached a hand over, brushing back a few strands of hair from Weiss’ face as she leaned over, delicately placing a soft kiss right against the smaller woman’s temple.

Nuzzling there, Blake then proceeded to wrap her arms around both her and Weiss and hugged them tightly, making the smaller woman let out a soft sound of protest as she did.

“I love you,” the faunus murmured, and she didn’t know if it was to Weiss or her. Not that she minded either way. “I love you so much.”

“We love you too, love,” she whispered in the same way, burrowing her face in Blake’s neck.

A soft purr started to rumble from Blake’s chest and, seemingly decided she deserved a bit of rest too, managed to keep them close to her as the faunus laid most of her weight on her, shielding them it felt as the purr filled the silence.

If she closed her eyes and listened to Blake’s purr and Weiss’ soft breaths against her neck, the three of them close together in a cocoon of warmth, she could almost feel like they were home. Although the bed under her was a bit firmer than the one they had back home, she could trick herself into thinking they were home, safe and sound, and that nothing bad ever happened.

As she felt herself relax, the purr coming from Blake weakening as her wife’s breathing was starting to get deep and slow, she heard the soft, content sigh coming from Weiss, and she decided to join them in their rest.

Although she wanted as much as Blake to bring Ruby back, she knew they needed to focus on one thing at a time. And although it killed her inside to do this, she pushed the thought of Ruby aside, for the moment, instead focusing her attention on the task at hand: Saving Weiss.

 

****

 

“Come on, Weiss. One more.”

“Yang, I… I don’t think I can…”

“Of course you can,” she instantly assured, rubbing circled across Weiss’ back. “Just one more.”

“It’s always ‘just one more’!” The smaller woman snapped, her weary expression twisting in an angry one. “How many ‘one more’s after this one? Five? Ten?”

A scoff escaped Weiss’ trembling lips as she flopped down on the bed, already shivering at just the _idea_ of going through this again.

“I can’t,” the smaller woman quietly let out, closing her eyes tiredly. “I can’t do it. Salem was right and I’m just going to die here, locked up in this… this… _prison_ ,” Weiss hissed, her features contorting in anger.

“You’d rather believe a witch than me?” She tried, hoping to get the desired reaction.

Unfortunately, she had hoped for nothing as Weiss’ eyes snapped open, a sharp twist to her lips as she snarled.

“What would you know? Salem has seen many die this way! She said only a few survived, and they were changed forever!”

As the smaller woman shifted to lay on her other side, turning her back to her, she heard the quiet words Weiss let out, curling a bit more on herself.

“I’m never going to get out of here,” the smaller woman said as she hid her head under the pillow. “I’ll never see the sun again. Everything I fought for was for nothing, because I’m going to die here!”

Taking a sharp breath in, Weiss voice climbed in pitch as it wavered, her left hand clutching the pillow on her head.

“I want to go home,” the smaller woman continued. “I want to hold Angel again. I want to watch the clouds again, feel the sun on my skin again. Gods, I want to see Whitley again,” she choked out with a weak chuckle.

“You’re not dying here, hun,” she forcefully said, pulling the pillow away to see Weiss better. “I promise we’ll get out of here.”

Her assurance was met by a bitter laugh as Weiss hid her head in her arms, the Grimm hand almost completely gone now as the only remnant of it was the dark shade of Weiss’ right hand.

“I’m not as strong as you, or as resilient as Blake,” the smaller woman only whispered, hidden away. “I’m weak, and I shatter for every little thing. You should have known, both of you should have known I wouldn’t be able to survive this. You made me believe everything would be alright and now I’m-”

Weiss interrupted herself when she rudely grabbed her by the arms to make her sit up, then drilled her eyes into pale blue ones before the smaller woman could protest.

“If you have enough strength to complain, then you’re not done.”

“Let me go!” Weiss instantly hissed through gritted teeth, sending a weak punch to her shoulder with her right hand, one that she firmly grabbed only to show it to Weiss.

“Look. It’s nearly gone.”

Pausing long enough for Weiss to lower her eyes on her hand, seeing her move her fingers slowly, she then leaned over and pulled the bucket they were using closer, pointing at it for the smaller woman to look at it.

“And here, that’s all you threw up today,” she informed, relaxing a bit when Weiss froze when she saw that the bucket wasn’t even halfway filled. “This shot is the last for today. Then tomorrow, who knows… You might be done, Weiss.”

As pale eyes glanced back and forth between the bucket and her blackened hand, she could see the smaller woman’s chin start trembling tellingly, and it was soon followed by a quiet sniffle.

“But I can’t, Yang,” Weiss softly, plaintively managed to let out. “I don’t- I don’t have it in me-”

“Then do it for me?”

As Weiss pinched her lips, she silently counted her stars when the smaller woman didn’t instantly reject the idea, because it meant Weiss was considering it. And she felt a wave of relief when, visibly torn, Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, before turning to press her face against her chest, letting out a loud, regretful groan.

“Fine,” Weiss grumbled, and she dropped a kiss on top of her head.

Leaning over to fetch the filled glass on the cylinder, she offered it to the smaller woman as Weiss eyed it for a second, before reluctantly taking it. Still staring hardly at it, she saw how the smaller woman’s jaw was stubbornly set suddenly, and as she was about to insist as she felt a wave of irritation wash over her, Weiss spoke before she could.

“This one is for you,” the smaller woman clearly said, her voice almost commanding as she stared at the glass in her hand. “The next one will be for Blake, and the next for Angel. If there is the need for a forth, it will be for Ruby.”

Taking in a sharp, decided breath, Weiss’s imperious expression faltered as soon as she brought the plastic glass to her mouth, but the liquid didn’t even reach her lips that she was pulling away with a trembling hand, her breath coming out in short rasps as she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

When Weiss tried again to no avail, she was about to encourage her when the smaller woman suddenly turned, knocked their foreheads together, and snapped her eyes open to stare directly into hers.

Seemingly finding all the courage she needed in them, the smaller woman brought once again the glass up, tilting it towards her shortly.

“For you,” Weiss whispered, before downing it without breaking eye contact.

Then, after throwing the glass over her shoulder without a care in the world, the smaller woman grabbed the bucket, leaned her elbows on her knees as she leaned over, and waited for the wave to come.

And waited. And waited.

As the seconds ticked by, Weiss’ delicate eyebrows furrowed as she cleared her throat, shifting her grip on the bucket, and when a few minutes passed, she glanced up at Yang.

Up until now, the response time had always been immediate or spaced by a couple of seconds as the days went on, but now, as Weiss looked up at her, she could see hope in Weiss’ pale blue eyes, shining bright and bringing life back into them as the ghost of a smile appeared on her lips.

It took a couple more seconds before the first sign of nausea appeared, but the delay of the response only meant one thing, and they both knew it.

Soon, it would be really, truly over.

 

****

 

Weiss had to take the shot for Angel as she waited with the bucket in her hands, staring right in front of her as she waited like the world was going to falter before she did, her back held in a resolute line.

When the first five minutes ticked by, none of them wanted to celebrate too soon.

When fifteen minutes went by, Weiss glanced back at them, shifting in her seat and looked down at her hand, seeing it back to normal, but stayed on her seat all the same.

After half an hour and still no sign of nausea from the smaller woman, Weiss gave an anxious jerk of her chin towards the cylinder.

“Give me another,” she demanded. “Maybe it just didn’t work.”

“Weiss-” Blake started, but was promptly interrupted.

“Another!”

Not waiting for more than that, Blake jumped to her feet and filled the plastic glass again, and as soon as Weiss took it, she downed it again, once again grabbing the bucket and waited nervously for… something.

Again, with two doses and after half an hour of nervous pacing from Blake while Yang made her leg bounce beside Weiss, the metal door opened, revealing a rather pleased Glynda that, so rare it seemed, offered a small but proud smile.

“Congratulations, children,” the older woman softly let out, her green eyes falling on each of them before settling on Weiss, holding her clipboard against her chest. “You made it.”

“Are you sure?” Weiss countered, unsure if celebrating was really an opportunity she could take.

“We will need to take a few blood tests, but we are fairly positive,” Glynda answered with a tilt of her head, before making her way closer to the smaller woman to observe her attentively. “Do you mind answering a few questions?”

As soon as she shook her head, the older Huntress gestured to the bucket, and Blake once again was the fastest one as the faunus grabbed it and left the room to purge its contents. Meanwhile, Glynda was pulling a pen from her clipboard as she pushed her glasses higher on her nose, furrowing her thin eyebrows as she read the notes she had taken, on the first day of observation.

“How do you feel?” The woman started with, looking up from the clipboard. “Do you still have headaches?”

Staying silent as Weiss seemed to think about it, she looked the smaller woman over, trying to find the tiniest hint that would indicate discomfort, but came up empty.

“I feel… good,” the smaller woman let out after a long, thoughtful moment. “I do have a headache, but it’s… different. I think it’s more from exhaustion than before. I feel… lighter, somehow. Like the weight that has been sitting on my chest for months was finally gone.”

“Good,” Glynda let out with a quiet hum of approval, quickly taking a few notes. “Do you want to wait until tomorrow for the blood tests, or-”

“No,” the smaller woman interrupted, already offering her arm. “I want to go home. Do what you need to do, but please, make it quick. I’m tired of those white walls.”

At that, the metal door of the room swung open, and before any of them could say something Angel sprinted inside the room, rocketing in one giant leap to crash right against Weiss that let out a loud groan upon impact. Thrown back on the bed, the smaller woman knocked her head against the wall in a dry thump, but Weiss barely complained as the dog was licking every inches of her face, Angel’s entire body wagging with the tail as the dog was whining happily on Weiss’ lap.

Letting out a loud, delighted gasp, the smaller woman closed her arms around the dog, trying to hold an overly excited Angel against her, burying her face in the dog’s collar as she laughed.

Glynda had barely raised an eyebrow at the scene before turning to her and giving a silent nod, then started towards the door, brushing passed Blake that held the leash in her hand, a satisfied smile on her lips as her golden eyes were on Weiss.

The bed definitely feeling a bit too small presently, she stood to join her wife, meeting Blake’s hand halfway.

“She definitely looks better,” the faunus quietly let out as Weiss was trying to convince the dog to lay down beside her. “Although, she’ll probably sleep for a century when we get home.”

“It’s okay. I know someone who’s ready to sleep for a century, too,” she let out with a smile, rising her arm in the air.

As Blake let out a soft huff, a smile gracing her lips, the door opened again and this time it was Oscar that came in, carrying a thick book in the crook of his elbow, but the young man’s eyes turned to Weiss, and a smile pulled his lips then.

“I’m glad she’s okay,” he said, letting a moment pass before turning to them, his expression a bit serious. “We… I noticed your interest, Blake,” he continued. “We are aware you were searching our office, at night. And… I know it don’t seem like much as compensation for everything, but… I convinced him to let you borrow this,” Oscar finished, offering the book to the faunus. “But, if you are truly going to her realm… he asks of you to be careful. There are many laws and bounds that are different than on Remnant.”

Blinking for a second, the faunus shook herself to solemnly take the book, looking down at the cover and instantly furrowing her brows. Something was written on it, but it was in a language they both didn’t know, and after Blake paged through it, they realised the entire book was written in this language.

Upon seeing their confusion, Oscar let out a quiet chuckle before raising a hand over the open pages and, closing his eyes as he scrunched his brows in concentration, a soft green glow emanated from his open hand, and right in front of their eyes the form of the letters changed, morphing into Remnant’s common tongue.

As Blake was still marveling from the phenomenon, she leaned over to read the cover, discovering there was a single word on it.

“What’s Ozma?”

“ _Who_ is Ozma,” Oscar gently corrected. “Ozpin’s first, and original life.”

At that, Blake’s head snapped up, her ears standing tall as she considered the young man in front of her.

“Wait, so this is…”

“Is a journal he kept,” Oscar explained with a smile. “Of course, as he lived through other lives, the journal kept lengthening. He believes that the answers you are seeking are in there, somewhere.”

As they were left dumbstruck from the borrowed ‘gift’, Oscar toyed with his fingers, betraying his usual timidity as he shifted his weight a bit.

“And, if you do decide to take action, or if you need anything, you can ask me,” the young man offered, rising his eyes to theirs so they could lock shortly. “Ruby… has always been kind to me. I want to help to bring her back.”

When he squinted his eyes briefly with the slightest wince, they knew Ozpin wasn’t totally on board with what he had just said, but they didn’t give him the time to argue as Blake quickly thanked him before hastily making her way out of the room, and she figured it was to stash the precious book somewhere safe. But before Oscar could pull away, she grabbed his arm, instantly gaining his attention.

“I’ve been wondering something for a long time, now,” she started, and the young man blinked but was still attentive. “Ever since the start of the war, you – Ozpin,” she corrected quickly. “Kept saying that Ruby was the key to win. Not a silver-eyed warrior, not any other, just _Ruby_.”

She paused, and he seemed to know what she was about to ask because he closed his eyes shortly, and when he opened them, there was the amber glint in them.

“It is because there can only be one active silver-eyed warrior at a time,” Ozpin said. “Some dies prematurely, and the next warrior is still too young to carry on, although, I’m sure you understand this particular situation.”

Giving her a pointed look, Ozpin then made the motion of pulling away, but she could feel the embers of an old anger spark to life in the pit of her stomach, and when she grabbed his arm again, it might have been a bit harsher than the first time.

“What happened to Summer?” She asked through gritted teeth, even though some parts of her already knew the answer. Some signs were the same…

“Unfortunately…” The headmaster started as he barely looked saddened by what he was about to say, and she felt her grip tightening, her fingers digging painfully in his arm.

“Yang? What’s going on?”

Weiss’ voice, coming right beside her, preceded the soft touch of her hand on her arm, but she glared at Ozpin for a moment more before rudely letting go, both of them holding the stare for a second more before the headmaster turned away and out of the room.

“It’s… It doesn’t matter anymore,” was the only thing she let out, her attention focused on the door as it closed behind Ozpin before turning it to the smaller woman beside her, trying to relax her arm under Weiss’ hand. “It’s just… something that happened a long time ago.”

As Weiss made a face, letting out a huff as she did, the smaller woman squeezed her arm gently.

“Obviously it still matters to you,” Weiss softly let out.

Feeling herself bristle as she was about to argue, she closed her eyes, managing to focus on the soft touch on her arm as she could feel the soft warmth emanating from the smaller woman, and it made her relax as she leaned over to hug Weiss, nuzzling her hair as she did. Letting out a deep breath as she felt the smaller woman hug her back, it was the only thing she needed for the anger to vanish again.

“It doesn’t matter now,” she said instead. “I just want to make sure you’re really alright, and then-”

“Then we go home,” Weiss finished for her, nodding against her.

She let out a soft huff, tightening her embrace.

“Then, we go home,” she repeated.

 

****

 

The blood tests that Glynda took came back impressively fast, and Weiss was cleared and in good health, and so, with the book Oscar had loaned them, they took an airship back to Mistral, there using their car they had left at the airport. Weiss had been snoozing all the way, and she had barely managed to keep her eyes open when she sat in the car, somehow managing to clip her seatbelt, then Angel snuggled against her on the backseat and the smaller woman was back in slumber again.

Blake had already started the long and excruciating work of reading the thick journal as quickly as she could on their flight, then back home as Yang was driving. Sometimes she would take notes on whatever piece of paper she could find, then stashed them in her pockets.

When they went to bed, it was late at night, and they were all exhausted, glad that this was over.

The next day, Weiss woke up early, feeling well rested for the first time in… She couldn’t even remember the last time she had felt well rested. Looking over, she could see Blake still sleeping, and Yang’s snores were as loud as usual and so, without waking them, she got out of bed and tip toed out of the room, Angel following reluctantly with a long stretch.

Set on having a nice, warm cup of coffee, she emerged from the hallway and started to the kitchen, seeing all the red and orange leaves on the front lawn through the window lightly pushed by the breeze.

The entire house was eerily quiet, aside from Yang’s distant snores, and this early in the morning, with the sun piercing through the clouds, everything looked so still as she stopped in the middle of the kitchen after starting the coffee machine.

As the smell wafted from the machine, she closed her eyes, letting a ray of sun warm her skin as she enjoyed the moment, feeling Angel nuzzle her hand softly. Soon, the machine beeped somewhat quietly, and she poured herself a steaming cup, no sugar, no cream. Plain black, just the way she loved.

Deciding to drag a chair in front of the window to look outside while she enjoyed her coffee, she was admiring the morning sky and how the colors of the rising sun on the patches of clouds called to the leaves in the nearby trees when she noticed the decorations of some of neighbouring houses, knowing that soon, carved pumpkins would be smiling back menacingly and seemingly protecting their porches.

It made her heart seize suddenly, remembering only now how well into the months they were.

Remembering how fast a year could pass by.

And it reminded her that, soon, it would be Ruby’s birthday, too.

The thought of her partner left a bitter taste on her tongue, one that wasn’t only because of the coffee she was drinking.

Gods, what were they going to do now? Leaving Ruby in Salem’s realm was out of the question, at least in her opinion. But even if she wanted it with her entire being… How would they bring her back?

For once in her life, she had promised something she wasn’t even sure she could keep.

Even if they knew where Salem’s realm was, _how_ to go there was another story, and Ruby had said her realm nullified Semblances and Auras…

Maybe Ozpin was right. Maybe it _was_ suicide to go.

As she felt her good mood vanish with this, she remembered the book Blake was reading, the one Oscar had loaned them, and a flicker of hope swayed inside her, as she knew that if there was a way, Blake definitely would find it.

Everything was not lost. Not yet.

Still, the rest of her coffee gone cold as thicker clouds blocked the warm rays of the sun, she decided to leave her mug in the sink and, as silently as she came, went back to the bedroom, her heart definitely heavier than an hour ago.

As she laid beside the two other women, Angel’s weight on top of her as she petted the dog, she stared at the ceiling as she wondered how much time had passed for Ruby, since the last time they met. It had barely been a week in Remnant, but in _her_ realm…

Her features hardening slightly, she raised her right hand up in the air, holding it open as she looked over it. Turning it back and forth, seeing the pale, powder-blue veins traveling across the back of her hand and on the inside of her wrist, she raised her left hand up in the same way, examining it.

She could see the faint scars on the back of it, where she had scratched too many times for her Aura to heal correctly. Whereas her left hand was visibly filled with tiny, faints scars, after the training as a Huntress and then the war, her right looked… blanked of injuries. Her skin in a seamless, milky white, with no evidence it had ever been close to combat before.

It was… perfect. Too perfect.

As if her skin had grown back entirely.

Even the lines of her palms weren’t the same, she realised as she brought them closer to her eyes. Using her left hand, she touched the palm of her right hand, feeling for callouses or something, but the skin was soft wherever she touched.

Using her nail, she pressed it at the base of a finger for a second, where she knew callouses should be. Even if her right hand wasn’t her dominant one, she knew it shouldn’t feel as soft as it did.

As soon as she pulled away, the red curve of her nail was imprinted there, staying for a long, long moment before disappearing.

To see this made her feel vulnerable. Made her feel like she was going to tear with the smallest bump, crumble with the tiniest hit.

Decided, she nudged Angel off of her, and for the second time that morning, she stalked out of the room and went right to the backyard, immediately making her way to the small shed where she knew Blake had stashed the practise swords.

 

****

 

It took Blake a week before finally closing the thick book in her lap with a weary sigh, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she could feel the start of a light headache behind them. the soft breeze blew as it carried the cold of the slowly coming winter, and it caused her to shiver as she zipped her jacket a bit higher, curling a bit more in the comfy chair she had dragged on the backyard porch, to keep Weiss company.

As she stretched with a quiet grunt, she blinked as focused on the smaller woman, watching her for a moment.

Both she and Yang had thought Weiss, as soon as they went home, would be in some sort of euphoric haze of finally being free of Salem’s clutch. But what a surprise they had when, the very next day, they found the smaller woman was already outside in the yard, still in her nightwear, her shirt sticking to her skin with sweat as Weiss was lining row after row of glyphs before bounding to each of them in a flash, the sheer speed she was moving would have easily made Ruby green with envy.

And ever since they came back, Weiss had spent almost all her days outside, training. Somewhere in the week, the smaller woman even dug out her Huntress gear from her walk-in, and she had seen Weiss frowning down at it as she found tears and holes in it, passing her fingers through them thoughtfully.

Still, the smaller woman was wearing it right now as she crouched from her glyph, readying the wooden sword in her hands as her pale-blue eyes narrowed at Yang, the blonde smirking as she brought her fists up in a defensive stance.

The blonde, seeing Weiss so thorough with her training, had decided to join in, and every time she had stopped her reading to watch over them, she always remembered a tale her father used to tell her.

It was about a fly fighting a lion. It seemed so fitting, right now.

As Weiss was quick and agile, her hits precise and deadly, Yang was slower, her hits more powerful. But Yang had sparred with Blake for years, and the blonde had developed incredible agility over the years, which resulted in… incredibly interesting spars.

Time seemed to stop then as everything was so still, and if she wasn’t as attentive as she had been, she would have missed the discreet shift of Yang’s right foot, widening her stance ever so slightly, or the way Weiss took in a sharp breath, the muscles of her thighs tensing, coiling as the smaller woman was about to launch her attack.

As fast as lightning, the glyph under Weiss’ feet moved, turning at incredible speed as the smaller woman was launched forward, the wooden blade held right in front of her. A couple of years earlier and Yang might have been defeated right then and there, but Blake knew better. Slightly shifting half a step to the side, Yang hunkered down, rising her right a bit more and letting Weiss’ wooden sword graze against it.

Using Weiss’ momentum against her, Yang fired with her prosthetic to add a bit of power and bringing her elbow down at Weiss’ exposed back, but it rebounded against a glyph there, making the blonde stumble a bit with a hum of surprise. Pivoting on her left leg, Weiss turned with a slash of her weapon, weakly meeting Yang’s wooden bracer on her left wrist.

As the smaller woman was using a wooden sword, Yang didn’t want to use Ember Celica while Weiss was ‘unarmed’, and so she had simply made a bracer out of a log, to at least have the bit of protection the blonde’s weapon usually gave.

The next part was always impressive, as for both Weiss and Yang, close-quarters were their strength, and every punch the blonde would throw, it was either pushed aside by the wooden sword or Weiss dodged it. The smaller woman followed the blonde’s every step, and Blake, who was used to this technique, knew that Yang was letting Weiss follow purposefully, giving her some sense of security before the blonde would change her footwork drastically.

And just as she had predicted, Yang jumped half a step back, surprising the smaller woman that lunged at the opening, and was greeted by a solid kick that caught Weiss in the ribs, a pained grunt escaping the smaller woman’s lips. Managing to stay on her feet, Weiss swiftly jumped back when another kick was thrown her way, then ducked under the roundhouse that followed.

As Yang was pressing the offensive, the smaller woman was still trying to catch her breath as she dodged and evaded the quick blows, each powerful enough to send her flying, and for each step that Weiss was giving to Yang, the blonde’s smirk only grew wider, cocky.

Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head when she saw Yang jump back, creating a considerable amount of distance between her and Weiss, before the blonde mockingly curled her fingers with both hands in the universal, and most annoying taunt.

If Weiss hated something more than anything, it was being ridiculed during a fight.

Even across the yard, she could almost _hear_ Weiss gritting her teeth.

Instantly flicking her right wrist to the side as the smaller woman glared at Yang, a ring of glyphs appeared around the blonde, causing her to smirk even more as she brought her guard up again. Vanishing from view an instant after, the smaller woman was already on Yang, the blonde dodging by a hair, and in a blink Weiss had already went to another glyph and was coming from behind.

Twisting, Yang merely swatted Weiss’ blade aside with her prosthetic, and if anything it managed to anger the smaller woman even more.

Lightning fast, Weiss disappeared from view as she zipped from one glyph to the other, and the blonde, thinking that Weiss would strike from behind again, swiveled to throw a quick jab behind her, pausing when the smaller was nowhere to be seen.

Descending from above, Weiss landed a strike right on the blonde’s right shoulder, resulting to make Yang take a knee on the battered patch of dirt in the center of the yard.

Barely pausing as Weiss somersaulted back preventively, the smaller woman dashed to the side as Yang launched forward, pivoting as the blonde threw a side kick. Easily dodging the hit, Weiss zigzagged around the blonde and effectively managed to irk Yang as she did, and soon the blonde’s hair started to glow, the smell of smoke strong in the air.

It managed to make Angel sit up anxiously, the dog up until now had been curled up at Blake’s feet while the two other women sparred, and Angel let out a quiet whine as the dog’s mismatched eyes fell on her. Shushing Angel absentmindedly, she kept her attention on the spar, knowing it was drawing to an end.

Stomping her foot and surprising Weiss mid-lunge, Yang threw a quick pair of jabs, the second managing to make the smaller woman stumble and lose her balance, Yang followed with a series of combo alternating between punches and kicks that made Weiss lose more ground as she tried to evade, block or dodge each blow, until, landing a right kick on the smaller woman’s hand, Weiss lost her grip on her weapon.

Using her prosthetic to swat aside the weak strike Weiss tried, it made the smaller woman drop her sword and, smirking again, Yang was rearing her left arm, about to throw one last heavy punch to end their spar.

Her knuckles were met by something as hard as steel and glowing a soft, pale blue, and even with the force of the blow Weiss didn’t move an inch as Yang’s strike was stopped by the large blade bursting from the glyph at Weiss’ feet.

Instantly jumping back, the blonde barely had the time to rise her prosthetic arm up before Weiss’ strike hit like a train, making Yang slide back as the blonde kept her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Yang wasn’t even completely stopped that the blonde threw herself on the ground as Weiss’ glowing sword was flying over her head, and taking advantage of this distraction, the smaller woman dove for her wooden sword, rolling on her shoulder before turning back to Yang as the blonde jumped to her feet again. Before the blonde could take a step forward, the glowing blade, in Yang’s blind spot, eerily stopped its course in midair before rushing back to Weiss’ extended hand, directly going to pierce through the unsuspecting blonde’s back.

Rising from her chair in a hurry, almost dropping the book from her lap as she did, her wife’s name just shy her lips in warning, a voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she shouldn’t have bothered when, as Weiss’ summoned sword would have hit Yang, it rebounded against one of Weiss’ glyph, and the sound of it made Yang jump in surprise, dropping her guard instantly as she turned around to see what happened.

The sword finishing its course with the tip of the blade sinking in the ground, a bit sideways and swaying from the force of the blow, Weiss lowered the wooden sword too, letting out a huff through her panting.

“You should really watch your back,” the smaller woman let out, allowing a bit of teasing.

Blowing a raspberry as Yang waved her words aside casually, the blonde stepped closer to the glowing blade, observing it closely.

“There’s Blake for that,” Yang simply retorted back, looking up at her with a wink.

Serving her wife with a warning stare, she climbed down the porch to close the distance with the other two, patting Weiss’ shoulder affectionately as she turned her attention on the smaller woman, offering a warm smile.

“That was a great spar,” she complimented, effectively bringing a faint tint of pink to Weiss’ pale cheeks.

“It was awesome!” Yang cheered excitedly, happily slamming a hand on Weiss’ back that almost sent the smaller woman to the ground. “For a moment there I thought I was about to lose!”

“You did,” Weiss dryly retorted.

“Pff,” the blonde, again, waved her words aside. “I could’ve taken it.”

As Weiss arched a doubtful eyebrow, Blake raised her eyes to the sky with another shake of her head as her wife was starting towards to porch, grabbing the bottles there and threw one at Weiss as they made their way back, the smaller woman juggling with it before securing her hold on it with a quiet sigh of relief.

“So did you finish the book?” Yang asked, paging said book before looking up at her, curious and serious at the same time. “Did you find anything interesting?”

As Weiss sat her wooden sword against the wall to slouch in Blake’s chair, draining a good portion of her bottle at the same time, she took the time to consider each of them before letting out a sigh, returning her attention on the book.

“I did, actually. I think I found a way into Salem’s realm.”

Instantly, it earned lilac and blue eyes focused on her as the earlier camaraderie was traded by a heavier feeling, sitting uncomfortably on her chest as she reached over to pull the thick book over to her, paging through it to find a page.

“Judging by the fauna and flora described in this, I think it’s in Vale,” she started, furrowing her brows as she backtracked a few pages, before finding what she was looking for, turning the book over so the other two could better see. “Does it look familiar?”

There was a second of surprise as, almost in synch, white and blonde eyebrows shot up high before Weiss reached for the book, taking it almost reverently as the smaller woman blinked at the drawing that covered the entirety of the two pages there.

“It looks like…” Weiss started in a whisper.

“The ruins where we chose our relics, on our first year of Beacon,” Yang finished for her, a bit louder as she was leaned over the smaller woman’s shoulder. “It’s in the Emerald Forest. It’s practically at Beacon’s doors!”

“It’s also near the location Ruby’s cloak was found,” the smaller woman added quietly, thoughtful.

Weiss’ addition was met by silence as Blake looked up at her wife, seeing Yang staring at the book with a deep crinkle between her eyebrows and, instantly, reached over to lightly poke it.

“What are you thinking?” She asked as soon as it earned back lilac eyes on her.

The blonde held her stare for a few seconds before returning to the book, staring at it thoughtfully again.

“Where do you think is the door? Or whatever it is,” her wife finished in a grumble.

“Look closely,” she insisted, tapping that page with her finger twice. “What looks different?”

“The ground,” Weiss was the one who answered, the smaller woman squinting her eyes slightly as she leaned closer. “I remember it was paved, because I tripped on one that poke out. Here, it looks like… it’s dug up in the ground.”

“Exactly,” she dipped her head, glad that Weiss had spot it. “Ozma said in his journal that creatures of Grimm seemed to come from that place, so they sealed it at some point. But there must be a way to access it somehow… Because if this place isn’t the ‘door’, then I don’t know where it is.”

“Okay, let’s say it’s there,” Yang waved her hands quickly. “Then… what’s next? Ruby told you there was something that made our Semblances vanish,” the blonde continued, pointing at Weiss.

“Ruby said it _negates_ Semblances _and_ Auras,” the smaller woman corrected with an eye twitching.

“Same thing. So, is there something about that?”

Scratching her head with a quiet sigh, she fished a paper in her pocket, remembering having noted something about this, before furrowing her brows at what was written.

“‘Runes probably, but doesn’t say which one nor how to counter it,’” she read out loud.

“‘Probably’?” Weiss snapped after a moment of silence. “All these pages for suppositions?”

“Well at least we know there’s some runes that could… counter whatever Salem is using,” Yang tried to pacify the smaller woman as she rested a gentle hand on Weiss’ frail shoulder.

“But what if it doesn’t work? What if we’re lead right into a trap? What if-”

“Weiss,” she firmly interrupted. “We’re not there yet.”

Choosing to stay silent, the smaller woman pinched her lips in a thin, unhappy line as her pale eyes returned to the pages in front of her, paging through them slowly. As Yang was looking up at her, silently pleading for something more, she felt her shoulders sag a bit, not liking it as much as Weiss did. But as she looked down at the book again, she saw on what page Weiss was and, recognising the drawings, she stopped the smaller woman from turning the pages.

“Here,” she pointed at the drawings. “Those are the runes he thinks can work as catalyst of power, and the others are sealing power or nullifying them.   
He doesn’t say which one does what, and there’s a _lot_ of them, so I think we should search each ones-”

“This one.”

Closing her mouth in a clack, she blinked as Weiss brought an assured finger to one of the numerous runes drawn across the pages, tapping on one that looked like a very sinuous and crooked ‘S’.

“It’s this one,” the smaller woman affirmed again, and she sounded so sure of herself that it made both her and Yang glance at each other.

“How do you know?” The blonde asked slowly, leaning a bit closer to the drawings. “Blake just said there were no descriptions-”

“I remember seeing several of these in Father’s office,” Weiss interrupted her. “Thinking about it now, it actually… explains a lot of things.”

Observing a silence again, she reached a hand over to Weiss, offering a light touch, and she saw Yang doing the same, hoping to comfort the smaller woman as much as she did. Weiss, though, only seemed to return to the task at hand as her eyes roamed over the drawing, a frown quickly forming on her face.

“So, if we can find the rune that can ‘reverse’ what this one does,” the smaller woman started as she tapped again at the rune in question. “Then maybe, we could be safe in Salem’s realm.”

“In theory,” Blake nodded.

“Then what?”

At Yang’s words, both her and Weiss looked up to see the blonde’s face hard as her lilac eyes were focused on the pages in front of them, and it was clear she was gritting her teeth as her wife leaned her closed fists on the table with a tight sigh.

“If we ever get the right rune, and this is truly the door, then what?” The blonde continued, keeping her eyes down on the book. “Does this book say anything about her realm? What it looks like? _Where_ exactly we should search?”

“I know where,” Weiss spoke again, earning both hers and Yang’s attention. “Well, in theory. If the ruins is the ‘door’ where Emerald and Mercury comes and goes, then I know where we’ll be, and I know where to look. But… The Hive isn’t a small castle, and I believe we can easily get lost-”

“The Hive?”

“Yes. Salem’s castle.”

“That name alone doesn’t sound good,” she couldn’t help but sigh quietly.

“And there a Grimm wandering the surroundings of the Hive, too.”

The wooden table suddenly plaintively creaking, she looked up as she realised it was because of Yang, her wife gripping the edge of the table with so much force that she was making it groan in protest.

“How can we even manage to get there, grab Ruby and come back unseen, then?!”

Before any of them could say something, a resounding tearing sound was heard behind her, and as Weiss scrambled to her feet while Yang straightened her back, both of them staring at something behind her, she turned around.

A few paces away from them, right beside the porch, was what looked like a portal, boarded by deep, dark red as the center of it was always in movement, black and red swirling together, and as she heard the soft bark Angel let out followed by a muted growl, for a second she felt a wave of panic rise like tide inside her, glancing over her shoulder to Weiss.

“Is it-”

“No,” the smaller woman was already shaking her head. “It’s not Salem’s portal. It’s… It’s not the same.”

As the words were registered in her brain, something was spitted out of the portal, rolling over a few times before stopping, and she blinked when she realised it wasn’t some _thing_ but some _one_.

Before she could get a closer look, something else emerged from the dark maelstrom, some _thing_ that clattered on the dirt.

And just like that, the portal closed, swirling and seemingly mending the space it had torn just a few moments ago.

Blinking from the events, she felt her ears perking when she heard the faintest grunt coming from the person, and she barely had the time to move a muscle towards them that Weiss was already by them, falling to her knees as Angel had already started licking the person’s face, wagging her tail widely.

“Ruby!”

The name pierced her ears as Yang all but jumped over the table to slide to a stop on the other side of the person, and with Weiss’ help, they turned the limp body as delicately as they could until the long hair was brushed aside, revealing a familiar face.

Crossing the space in three wide steps, she couldn’t believe her eyes when Weiss started crying, continuously petting the long, matted and tangled dark red hair, and she could see Yang barely managing to not break down in tears as her wife was searching for injuries.

“We should take her to the hospital,” she proposed with a strangled voice.

Both white and blonde heads nodded in synch, unable to speak, and Weiss stepped back when Yang gathered her unconscious sister in her arms to carry her, doing so effortlessly, and the blonde was already going to the house, Weiss following closely to open doors on the blonde’s way.

Taking a moment as she remembered she could breathe, she looked over to see Crescent Rose, its blade dull and started to rust in some place, looking as battered and beaten as its owner. As she heard the distant call of Yang for her, she brought the weapon back in the house with her after one last sweep of the backyard.

 

****

 

Bouncing her knee restlessly, Yang was staring at the floor, ignoring the familiar smells of the hospital as they were waiting in one of the most spacious rooms Mistral’s General Hospital could give. Even though she could hear the constant beeps, she couldn’t help but look up and reach out, she couldn’t help making sure that her sister was _really there_.

Lightly resting her left hand atop Ruby’s, feeling it cold and thin in hers, she curled her fingers around her sister’s, hoping to give them some of her warmth. Hearing a soft, quiet sigh, she looked up, once again marveling at the realisation that Ruby was _really here_.

Although her sister didn’t look well, she thought, frowning in concern. As she had carried her to the car, she had seen the scar on the left side of her face, noticed the missing eye. And how Ruby felt even lighter than Weiss, if that could even be possible.

The blood test the doctor had taken earlier had come back and, with it, the doctor had told her that Ruby lacked _a lot_ of things: vitamins, iron, calcium… Everything that made someone healthy, Ruby had a lack of it. When they explained to the doctor Ruby had been missing for a year, he looked a bit surprised as he said that most of her health problems and injuries went back longer than that.

Not in the mood to explain the situation, she had simply nodded and thanked him. Then, a nurse had hung a bag of clear liquid that was slowly dripping in a tube that went directly into Ruby’s bloodstream, plus a couple of other injections she had been too caught up with her thoughts to ask what it was. Now, they were waiting for Ruby to wake up, as her sister was breathing slowly and deeply, the monitor beeping rhythmically.

None of them had spoken ever since they had arrived at the hospital, except with the doctor. They were too lost in thoughts or worried to bother with conversation. Blake was seemingly guarding the room as she kept changing post, stopping in front of the window before going to the door, back and forth, added with slight fidgeting and betraying her anxiousness as the hours went by. Weiss was strangely silent as the smaller woman was sitting on the soft, padded chair in the corner of the room, staring at the floor and occasionally glancing up at Ruby’s form, sometimes meeting her stare as she did.

Weiss would always shy away, apparently preferring to return her eyes to the floor than hold her stare.

The sun was sinking in the horizon when the doctor came again, this time a bit worried as he held his clipboard close to his chest, and silently he gestured for her to follow him.

Being the only family member in the room added with being Ruby’s emergency contact, the information passed to her before being transmitted to the other two in the room.

As she closed the door behind her, she could see the doctor frowning down at Ruby’s file, his lips pinched in a fine line.

“You said you were Huntresses?” He asked, and she obediently nodded. “Then I’m sure you are familiar with the… pools of black goo from the Grimm?”

The mention of the slime made her straighten her back, the haze of the last hours dissipating a bit as she furrowed her brows at the doctor, serious.

“What about it?”

“There are traces of it in your sister’s blood,” the doctor informed. “At first I didn’t noticed it because of all the other problems, but-”

“You can see it in her blood?” She asked, surprise.

“Yes. During the war, many Hunters and military personnel came and went because of this goo, and we learned to see the signs in the blood, and to make a counter to it. So I was going to inform you that I wanted to give her the shot, although she might throw up following the injection.”

“As long as she’s okay afterwards, you do what you gotta do,” she simply said, and the doctor dipped his head in silent thanks.

As the doctor spun on his heels and quickly went down the hallways, gesturing to a nurse as he did, she went back in the room and at she stopped in the doorframe, her eyes landing on Ruby.

She looked like death.

Her skin was sickly pale, and her only eye was encircled by dark purple. Her lips were dry and cracked, and the hospital gown fell strangely on her sister’s shoulders, weirdly angular. Ruby’s chest rose and fell slightly, the sound of her breaths barely audible even in the silence of the room.

In her absence, Weiss had taken her place, lightly holding Ruby’s hand as the smaller woman was glassily staring at Ruby’s face, slightly hunched over. Blake was watching over Ruby took, standing on the other side of the bed with her arms crossed over her chest, soft concern apparent on her face.

But when they heard the door opening again, both Blake and Weiss looked up at her, a semblance of life returning in both golden and pale-blue eyes.

“What is it?” Blake asked quietly, furrowing her brows when her wife saw her stopped in the doorway.

“There’s, uh,” she had to shake her head to focus her thoughts again, remembering why the doctor had talked to her outside. “There’s traces of slime in her blood, so they will give her an injection.”

“Is it why she doesn’t look like she’s doing better ever since we got here?” Weiss asked quietly, returning to the unconscious leader.

“Apparently they found some kind of cure during the war,” she added, falling heavily on the padded chair Weiss had been earlier.

The door opening again kept them from continuing the conversation as the doctor and a nurse entered with a cart, and Blake and Weiss got out of the way as they moved around the bed, making quick work of the injection and examining Ruby again. And as expected, the nurse had to roll the unconscious woman on her side when she showed signs of nausea.

She was a bit surprised to see that what her sister threw up was bile, and not the same dark liquid that Weiss had.

Still, two hours later Ruby looked way better already, and finally, she slowly stirred from her slumber.

As soon as they saw Ruby show signs of awakening, Blake was back right beside the bed, observing with bated breath while she was shaking Weiss’ shoulder to wake her up.

One single silver eye fluttered open before blinking lazily, and after a moment of stunned silence on their part, Ruby’s dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, blinking again.

“I’m not dead?” They hear her say, her voice hoarse from misuse.

“No, you’re not,” Yang managed to let out, her throat constricted with emotion as she had to hold back from simply crushing her sister in her arms.

The sound of her voice causing a slight tremor in Ruby’s expression, the silver eye slowly fell on her as they heard the audible catch in her breath, and after a stunned second of wonder Ruby lifted a trembling hand, entirely focused on her as her eye welled up.

“Yang?” Ruby croaked out, and she closed her hand around Ruby’s, giving a soft squeeze as she smiled with a nod, unable to say anything.

As her sister crawled closer, a quiet sob shaking her shoulders, Blake leaned over and pressed a hand against Ruby’s back, gently helping her.

“Easy there,” the faunus quietly let out, but at the sound of her voice Ruby paused, a tear already rolling down her cheek.

“Am I really alive?” The leader chocked up again, a smile trembling on her lips.

As Ruby turned to look at Blake, she froze in place as her single eye landed on Weiss, and the smile that was on her lips vanished with just that.

“Oh.”

All the quiet amazement in Ruby’s silver eye vanished as she simply slumped back on her spot, staring numbly at the ceiling.

“That’s a low blow, even for you,” the leader mumbled, closing her eye.

Suddenly and roughly brought back to reality, she blinked as she glanced over Blake and Weiss, seeing the same confusion in their eyes.

“Me?” Weiss tried, her voice quiet.

“Oh ha ha, very funny,” Ruby continued, her voice harder now as her expression twisted. “Play dumb, go right ahead. I don’t care.”

“Ruby, I don’t understand-”

“Stop using her voice!” The leader suddenly roared, her eye snapping open and the silver of it shining with new tears. “I get it, I tried to leave and I failed. You got me back. I know I disobeyed, so torture me, I don’t care, but…”

Her lower lip quivering as Ruby let out a shivering breath, the leader curled up on the bed, hiding her face against the pillow.

“Just… Stop using her. Please. I’m begging you.”

Weiss was staring at Ruby, speechless, and even though it was clear the smaller woman was deeply hurt by her partner’s words she still closed her mouth, lowering her eyes as her small frame seemed to deflate. As Blake instantly wrapped an arm around Weiss’ shoulders a bit protectively, she decided to lean over, close enough to whisper to Ruby.

“Hey, you’re not with Salem anymore, sis. We’re really here, on Remnant, and you’re in Mistral’s hospital.”

A doubtful scoff answered her as Ruby pressed her face deeper in her pillow, and angry scowl on the portion of face she could see.

“Yeah right, as if I’ve never heard this one,” her sister merely grumbled.

“Fine,” she sighed, grabbing Ruby by the shoulders firmly to make her sit, and the leader seemed genuinely shocked by the action as she stared at her sister with one wide eye. “Is there something that could prove to you that’s really Weiss, and that you’re really here?”

“Do you want me to kiss her, too?” Her sister argued stubbornly, her expression scrunching up instantly. “That’s some morbid fantasy you have-”

“Look, I’m just trying to help,” she interrupted, feeling irritation bubbling up. “You’re not in that bitch’s realm.”

The last part made Ruby pause as she took the time to consider her, suddenly seeming very cautious about her actions.

“She would never let anyone say something like that about her,” the leader quietly whispered, uncertainty making her expression falter.

“And I’m telling you, you’re not with Salem anymore!”

“But it can’t be real,” Ruby softly countered, shaking her head, squinting her eye. “It can’t be. I… I saw her…”

Trailing off as Ruby’s silver eye looked up directly at Weiss, it made the smaller woman perk up instantly, but Blake kept her arm loose on the smaller woman’s shoulders, just to be sure.

“There was… There was something we did, sometimes,” Ruby softly said, almost thoughtful as she slowly raised a hand in the air in front of her, her palm facing Weiss. “Something that will make sure you’re really… her.”

Visibly understanding what Ruby wanted instantly, the smaller woman pressed a hand against Ruby’s without an ounce of hesitation, lacing their fingers together, and both Ruby and Weiss closed their eyes in synch. Arching an eyebrow at the sudden stillness of the two, she glanced over at Blake, who carefully removed her arm from Weiss’ shoulders, a slight shiver running over her frame as she did.

As soon as Blake moved away, the soft glow of each other’s Aura wrapped around Ruby and Weiss’ entire body, soft red for Ruby and stark white for Weiss, and the glow traveled along their arms to meet at their joined hands, both lights merging together in a soft, reddish-pink glow as it spread back to envelop the two.

It was only when she heard both Ruby and Weiss let out a tiny sigh in synch that she realised they were assisting at something _very_ intimate, and she shifted in her seat, awkward as she understood why Blake had pulled away from the smaller woman.

As if to be any more obvious, the beeping of Ruby’s heart monitor increased in tempo considerably.

As the light slowly subsided, Weiss’ eyes fluttered open, a soft pink tint coloring her pale cheeks the visible tell of the smaller woman’s embarrassment as she purposefully avoided Blake and Yang’s eyes, while Ruby kept her eye closed, her expression thoughtful and confused as she didn’t seem willing to let go of Weiss’ hand.

“I don’t understand,” the leader softly let out. “I saw her kill you. I saw you die. It can’t be a trick, she was focused on you, I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“I did die, technically,” Weiss answered as quietly as her partner. “But Ozpin made my heart beat again. And here I am.”

“Then… Then I’m really here,” Ruby blurted out after a moment of silence, opening her eye only for it widening. “I’m really back! By the Gods, my Aura!” The leader suddenly realised, shaking the hand that was still holding Weiss’. “It reacted! It means my Semblance-”

“Oh no,” Yang stopped her sister before Ruby could finish her sentence, dropping a heavy hand on her shoulder. “You’re not running butt-naked up and down the hallway. You need to rest.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not-”

“Or I could tie you to the bed,” Blake suggested, sounding serious enough to make Ruby pause. “You really _do_ need to rest, Ruby.”

As the leader was pinching her lips, seemingly about to argue, Ruby leaned back on her free hand instead, releasing a small sigh as she let her head fall back, staring at the ceiling for a moment.

“This better not be one of your illusions,” they heard Ruby grumbling as she finally settled back on the bed. “Because I’m not sure I can survive this one.”

After a soft squeeze from Ruby, the leader pulled away from Weiss, tucking her arm closer to her chest as Yang, ever dutiful, was already pulling the light blanket higher on her shoulders and reflexively leaned over to press a kiss on her sister’s forehead, the action making Ruby blink for a second before a small smile pulled her lips.

Almost as soon as Ruby was tucked in, she seemed to pass out, her heart rate slowing gradually to return to the slow, steady beat from earlier, but this time a light flush of life was coloring the leader’s cheeks, and it made her smile softly, still caught in wonder that Ruby was really, truly back.

Feeling stupidly happy as she looked up, she realised that Weiss was still actively avoiding her eyes, the remnant pink on her cheeks still there, and with a smile, she decided to tease the smaller woman a bit.

“I hope this thing you did wasn’t like, unsafe sex in front of our chaste, innocent eyes.”

Instantly a violent blush colored Weiss’ pale face in crimson as she barely heard Blake sighing tiredly, her wife rising her eyes to the sky as the smaller woman held her back in a ramrod line.

“Of course not why would you even say that don’t you have any tact or some sense of decency?” Weiss almost shrieked, talking fast and her voice taking a panicked high-pitched note as Blake merely sat a reassuring hand on the smaller woman’s thigh.

“She’s teasing you, starlight,” her wife merely said. “Can’t you tell from her ridiculous grin?”

The smaller woman simply grumbling under her breath, she could almost see the steam coming out of Weiss’ ears as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and crossed her leg over her knee, Blake’s hand staying comfortably in place.

“Besides,” her wife added, a teasing smirk twitching in the corner of her lips as Blake winked at her. “Wouldn’t be the first time I see you two in an _almost_ compromising position.”

The slap that followed was resounding as the smaller woman simply stood, and Weiss marched right to the door as Blake was rubbing her thigh with a chuckle.

“I’m going to check on Angel,” was all Weiss said dryly before disappearing out the door.

The reaction made her laugh along with Blake, and for a moment, her heart felt so light as she knew Ruby wasn’t even two feet away from her. Many questions were still left unanswered, but it could wait.

It could wait, because Ruby was back. And for the moment, it was all that mattered to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you enjoyed it! And there's going to be one last part of this series, but I don't know WHEN I'll start working on it... Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I'm so glad I can share my stories with you guys!!


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